Drive
by MarcellusMiro66
Summary: Lincoln's life is crumpling apart. His sisters hate him, his girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend, and his parents are the only ones who support him. He also falls in love with a crime boss's niece – the one thing he cherishes more than his own family. (UNDER RECONSTRUCTION AGAIN)
1. Chapter 1: Part 1, Vol 1

_Hi, everyone, **MarcellusMiro66** here! This is a **Loud House** story set in an alternate universe in the vein of the **DC** **Extended** **Universe**. This story is inspired by " **Inadequate** " (by **YARIDOVICH23** ), " **The Broken House** " (by **Omega** **Ultra** ), " **What Is A Person Worth** " (by **That Engineer** ), "Making the Case", and "No Such Luck"._

 _Lincoln's life is withering away; His sisters except Lori, Lynn, and Lily are mad at him, his girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend, and nobody but a few selective people – including his divorced parents – support him. However, after a run-in with a young girl and her uncle (who just happens to be a notorious crime boss), Lincoln's life takes a tremendous turn. For the better or the worse, he doesn't know._

 _The story's plotline and visual style is inspired by **Bullitt** , **The Getaway** , **Once Upon a Time in America** , **Blue Velvet** , **Carlito's Way** , **Pulp Fiction** , **Face/Off** , **Punch-Drunk Love** , **John Wick** , and **Kingsman: The Secret Service**._

 _Enjoy! If you can..._

* * *

 _ **(Friday, November 18th 2016)  
** **(12 N)**_

 _ **"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. To me, being a gangster was better than being President of the United States. Even before I first wandered into the cabstand for an afterschool job, I knew I wanted to be a part of them. It was there that I knew that I belonged. To me, it meant being somebody in the neighborhood that was full of nobodies. They weren't like anybody else. I mean, they did whatever they wanted."**_

 _ **"If you're part of a crew, nobody ever tells you that they're going to kill you, doesn't happen that way. There weren't any arguments or curses like in the movies. See, your murderers come with smiles, they come as your friends, the people who've cared for you all of your life. And they always seem to come at a time that you're at your weakest and most in need of their help."**_

 _Lincoln was turbulently thrown out of the boy's bathroom by a group of them. Luckily, the Principal and two more teachers found him and confronted the bullying boys, awarding them a strict speech and following five day in-school suspension. It wasn't entirely enough to reliably relive him of the persistent pain, but it would do for the time being. He went and walked home – having missed his ride home and considering it was the end of a Friday. He had halfheartedly hoped for this, as the bus contained two of his best fiends: Clyde McBride and Ronnie Anne Santiago. He couldn't stand to see them both: separate, together, or let alone in the same room as him...at least not at the moment. He wanted to be alone in actuality, and preferred to keep it that way._

 _ **"I'll tell you why. I think you're a lonely person. I drive by this place a lot and I see you here. I see a lot of people around you. And I see all these phones and all this stuff on your desk. It means nothing. Then when I came inside and I met you, I saw in your eyes and I saw the way you carried yourself that you're not a happy person. And I think you need something. And if you want to call it a friend, you can call it a friend."**_

 _Lincoln had no friends, no family, no one left to trust in the world. Well, that wasn't totally true; he could place trust into his parents, as they seemed to be the only ones in his family who completely cared for him to certainty and weren't absolutely angry at him besides any other family members who weren't his ten sisters. Clyde and Ronnie Anne were both different stories entirely. He wasn't mad, he wasn't angry, and he sure as hell wasn't exasperated. In fact, those three agitating adjectives weren't accurately able to begin to cover how he was fully feeling about the multifarious misfortune he relentlessly and ruthlessly received._

 _ **"It's all bullshit except the pain. The pain of hell. The burn from a lighted match increased a million times. Infinite. Now, ya don't fuck around with the infinite. There's no way you do that. The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart... your soul, the spiritual side. And ya know... the worst of the two is the spiritual."**_

 _Lincoln felt like erupting like a violent volcano, exploding like a bountiful bomb, or a cataclysmic combination of the two. Either way, he was bound to brutally burst into an amazing amalgamation of astonishing anger and resenting rage. The occurring outburst was indeed not going to be previously assumed as pretty._

 _ **"Hey, I'm not square, you're the one that's square. You're full of shit, man. What are you talking about? You walk out with those fuckin' creeps and lowlifes and degenerates out of the streets and you sell your little pussy for peanuts? For some low-life pimp who stands in the hall? And I'm square? You're the one that's square, man. I don't go screwing fuck with a bunch of killers and junkies like you do. You call that bein' hip? What world are you from?"**_

 _Lincoln wanted to make them pay. Lincoln wanted to make them suffer. Lincoln wanted to make them dead. Dead in a coffin. Dead in a ditch. Dead in the gutter._

 _Dead everywhere and anywhere. The world will torment Lincoln Loud no longer. They will recognize and respect the name of Lincoln Loud._

 _ **"For us to live any other ways was nuts. Uh, to us, those goody-good people who worked shitty jobs for bum paychecks and took the subway to work every day, and worried about their bills, were dead. I mean, they were suckers. They had no balls. If we wanted something, we just took it. If anyone complained twice, they got hit so bad, believe me, they never complained again."**_

 _ **"You know, we always called each other good fellas. Like you said to, uh, somebody, "You're gonna like this guy. He's all right. He's a good fella. He's one of us." You understand? We were good fellas. Wiseguys."**_

 _Patience was a vital virtue, so it wouldn't be necessary on his side. A contrived coincidence, however, was, and Lincoln needed one desperately. Lincoln Loud was certainly cynical at best, Lincoln Loud was meticulously murderous at worst._

 _That's Lincoln Loud for you._

 _(~****~)_

 ** _At The Same Time. . ._**

 _The soft snow fell upon the city as people hustled and bustled around to go about their basic business. Despite the fact that it was mid-November, it felt like early to late December for most. It'd probably make surefire sense, considering that the citizens were in ultimately upstate New York City, specifically a cold Connecticut. This was a city of crime. This was a city of violence. This was a city of fear._

 _This...was Gotham City._

 _Gotham City was a large metropolitan city. It is the hostile home of substantial supervillains in hiding, such as The Scarecrow, The Joker, Two-Face, Harley Quinn, Mr. Freeze, and Bane. However, it is also the heartfelt home of the general genius, basic billionaire, popular playboy, and proper philanthropist: the one and only Bruce Wayne, who meticulously masquerades as Batman – the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, and simply the Big Bad Bat. With his wits and smarts – both methodical and martial art-wise – combined with his abundance of alike allies, an abundance of alike adversaries such as the six listed above were now incarcerated individuals in either Arkham Asylum and Belle Reve. Batman was a symbol of hope, hope that the city, one of the darkest of night in history, will see the light of day. With that, he was a central cofounder of the world's most substantial superhero team...the Justice League._

 _However, the Justice League doesn't always see to any credible threat, so other vital villains have the advancing advantage. Such is the case of a notorious crime boss by the name of Arnold Stromwell, whose criminal ways reached all the way back to childhood. Despite the perilous position he held, his prime prominence was undoubtedly undeniable, prompting extreme envy from many past, present, and future crime bosses, especially his current competitor Rupert Thorne. Unlike Thorne, however, Stromwell was ultimately unwilling to place anyone in harm's way; he only did what he saw necessary. Besides, he had a family to support...as well as a never known niece._

 _Arnold stood outside on the balcony of his penthouse suite, gazing upon the landscape of Gotham with high hopes. Arnold knew to never hope too highly, as he was taught by his brother to expected the unexpected. Arnold would see this philosophic phrase come into fruition when a knock on the door brought him out of his fulfilled fantasy,_

 ** _"Come in."_**

 _The door ominously opened up just as Arnold tentatively turned around, the hand behind his back cocking his stainless steel Jericho 941 R. He was casually caught off guard by his brother himself and a young girl hiding behind him,_

 ** _"Michael."_**

 ** _"Arnold. I'm sorry, but...there was no one else I could go to."_**

 ** _"What is it?"_**

 _Michael turned his attention to the young girl clinging onto him tightly and then back to his brother, **"The girl...I had found her on the streets last night; she was naked and cold. I...couldn't fully fathom the shaking sight of her beat-up body."**_

 _The young girl was visibly shaken by Michael's dreadful description of her atrocious appearance when he found her; Michael's immense infuriation was burning up within him, a testament to how angry he was at the men responsible,_

 ** _"She was raped?"_**

 ** _"Unfortunately, yes, Arnold. Fortunately, I managed to fend them off when they came back."_**

 _Arnold nodded in understanding and slowly sauntered over to the young girl, efficiently examining her from head to toe. Bruises and cuts indeed covered her body, signifying a small sign of rape. Her brown eyes showed fear just as her twitchy hands, strengthening that signal. Her legs were leaking a white substance, solidifying that signal. This young girl had been ruthlessly raped and scared senseless._

 ** _"What's your name?"_**

 _The girl's reply was soft but loud enough for him to hear, **"Sophie... Sophie Zane."**_

 _Arnold nodded again and walked to his desk, **"I'll see what I can do. Right now, I suggest that the both of you stay with Connie and Joey for the next few days. They moved to a small town called Huntington Oaks, Michigan; it shouldn't be hard to find."**_

 _Michael nodded in return, **"Thank you, Arnold. I suppose you'll be doing what you do best?"**_

 ** _"Don't worry, Michael, I'll make sure that nobody dies...besides the men who did this."_**

 ** _"I was afraid you would say that."_**

 _With that, Michael exited the room while escorting small Sophie out with him. When they were both out of eyesight, Arnold took out and checked the cartridge of his Jericho 941. Placing the pistol down, he walked over to the wall and, after peeling off a portion of it, unveiled a large lock and thumbprint identification pad. He opened the safe after proceeding with the procedural, revealing a mass of money and a fascicle of firearms: a Glock 17 (3rd Generation), a Glock 19 (3rd Generation), a Beretta 92FS, a SIG-Sauer P226R, a M4A1 Carbine, and many variants of the Colt M1911A1 among others. He always had to assume that a small act can lead to a big war, and he had to be prepared for it. Nothing more, nothing less._

 _His nephew, Anthony "Tony" Zucco, was an excellent example. His horrid hit on the Flying Graysons was both inappropriate and irresponsible; for that, he cut all family and business ties with him permanently. He was caught by Batman and Robin the next months following their deaths. He was crystal clear aware of Robin's civilian identity, as he knew that no one else would go after him for a random reason._

 _Wait a minute..._

 _Arnold had just realized that Tony had a daughter, a product of ruthless rape. He turned towards the spot where Michael and Sophie were standing a few moments earlier._

 _' Was this Sophie Zane really is who she says to be?'_

 _Arnold had to find out the truth, just for the sake of this impromptu witness protection program. He turned on his laptop and, after plugging in his flash drive, got to work. First, the name. Second, the town. Finally, the nephew. He compared the two photos side by side and first conceived the truth as just a contrived coincidence, but took things into consideration, such as the reason how and why Sophie was in Gotham City today. She had no presumed parents in plain sight, and Tony and the girl had a very hard history._

 _' Did Tony...?'_

 _Arnold suddenly felt horror, uncertainty, and finally rage swirl in his stomach. It was mostly rage, in fact 70% rage. To say that he was mad, angry, and/or exasperated would be the ultimate understatement of the 21st century. He was intensely infuriated beyond the breaking point. If Tony did indeed beat or even maybe rape her, there would be one less competitor to worry about._

 _(~****~)_

Oh, wait, Did I say _"he walked and went home"_? Scratch that. Despite this particular day being an Early Release, Lincoln decided to head to lunch, believing that the things that have been happening today couldn't possibly get much more worse than they already were. He was dead wrong. From a distance was his supposed-to-be girlfriend and his supposed-to-be best friend. Both exchanged ginger glances as they looked at the one person who once cared for them,

"You know, I almost can't believe I liked the Lame-O." Ronnie Anne crossed her arms and glanced to her boyfriend.

"I almost can't believe _I_ liked _his sister_." Clyde rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Lori never liked you anyway, so why bother?"

"I don't know, babe. I guess it was her eyes."

"Ugh. It's always the girls' eyes for you boys. And stop calling me babe, babe."

"Hey, lovebirds!" Chandler walked over, crossing his own arms, "Are we getting to bombard the loser or what?"

Chandler's impatience rewarded him with a bodyslam to the floor, "If you were patient enough, then yes... We _are_ going to bombard the Lame-O before the day is over. Now come on."

A small group of students followed behind the couple, one of them being highly hesitant to participate in the Bombardment. Not just because she knew what the perceived punishment was certainly capable of, but also because she knew it was wrong. She'd seen him at school hanging out with his former friends, especially the two leaders. Clyde McBride was Lincoln's best friend since kindergarten, having been through hell and back. He had almost always accompanied him through everything and stood up for him while at it. Speaking of accompanying, Ronnie Anne was Lincoln's crush/secret girlfriend...and this was before the video contest. Her blatant bullying was a form of facade so no one could be suspicious of the sort. Unfortunately, you can see where this is going.

Clyde was jealous of Lincoln's seemingly perfect life: The perfect family, the perfect girlfriend, the perfect everything. So, one day, during the events during the video contest, Clyde secretly sneaked into Luan's closet and searched for Lincoln's videotapes. Finally locating them all, he went home and started skimming through, stopping upon the perfect piece of humiliation: Lincoln's fantasy of another girl he "once" loved: a girl by the name of Cristina McKinnon. So, calling up Ronnie Anne, she saw the video the next day when Clyde invited her over; needless to say, she was definitely devastated by the revelation. Her anger getting the best of her, she broke up with him following a severe scolding from his brothers via email. Clyde consoled Ronnie Anne the nights after, each one unintentionally falling for the other in the process. Six months later...

 _Well, here we are..._ Mollie gently gulped.

The band of students made their way to the cafeteria and spotted Lincoln from afar, sitting far from the usual table where he and Clyde used to sit at. He placed his lunch on the table, slowly sat down, and closed his eyes. He was all ready to accept his fate, something only Mollie noticed as Ronnie Anne and Clyde moved forward with their plan, a small smile of pride growing upon their faces.

 _I... I can't do this. I can't participate in this. I need to get out of here. **Lincoln** needs to get out of **there**. Oh, Lincoln, I'm so sorry. I hope you can forgive me..._

"Um, Ronnie Anne?"

Said tomboy glanced behind her, "What?"

"Can I go use the bathroom? I can't...hold it."

Ronnie Anne frowned upon hearing this but sighed and nodded, "Fine, but don't blame me if you miss a very good Bombardment. Hurry back if you can."

"Thank you," Mollie mutely muttered before running off to the "bathroom".

"Ronnie Anne. You ready?"

She turned back towards her boyfriend, "Yeah... I'm ready." She gestured the students to go get their lunches. After they all did, all of them slowly surrounded an unsuspecting Lincoln. By the time he fully realized what was happening...

It was too little, too late.

 ** _"BOMBS AWAY!"_**

Lincoln opened his eyes to see the steaming hot food flying towards him. Slightly betrayed, saddened, and heartbroken, he braced for imminent impact: spaghetti splattered all over his face, pizza pierced all over his clothes, and the ice cream parfait was the literal icing on the cake as he, blinding by the abundant amount of flying food, suddenly slipped and slammed his head on one of the chairs. He fell into utter unconsciousness soon after.

Everybody laughed. Everybody, from the people responsible for the Bombardment to the people who had absolutely no idea what exactly happened, laughed hard at the victim's abuse. Lincoln himself remained unconscious for the duration of the laughing lunch period, something some of the few non-laughing students noticed. The remnants of Lincoln's friends tended to the victim, mouths agape upon a closer inspection,

 _"Lincoln?"_

Ronnie Anne and Clyde themselves ceased their laughter, both for the same reason. She, parting away from him, slowly stepped forward and checked on the unconscious Lincoln herself, a cold chill running up her spine, "Lincoln? Hey, Lincoln. Get...get up."

"Hey! You get away from him!" Ronnie Anne found herself face to face with Rusty, the self-proclaimed leader of Lincoln's friends, "Who do you think you are?"

"I'm...sorry." Was all Ronnie Anne could muster up.

"Oh, that's all you have to say?! I don't a stupid "Sorry" could fix _that_!" Liam yelled while gesturing to Lincoln.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Clyde came to Ronnie Anne's defense, "We had our reasons for the Bombardment!"

"Really? Name one!"

Clyde opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. A realization had reached him: all of this - all the tremendous torture in the past six months - happened to Lincoln - his _best friend_ \- because of his own envy. He used the tape of Lincoln "kissing" Clyde as leverage, he intentionally stole Lincoln's crush/secret girlfriend, and he ordered the Bombardment on Lincoln with said crush/secret girlfriend with gratuitous glee. Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln. His plan to ruin his best friend's life had worked.

It worked _horribly_.

"Thought so." Liam shook his head in shame for the couple, turning to one of the boys, "Chad, lift Lincoln up." The brunette-haired boy nodded and did just that, just as a dirty-blonde girl arrived back from the "bathroom",

"Ronnie Anne?"

"Mollie?" Ronnie Anne turned and saw another person arriving right behind her (Mollie), her wish of sharply sinking into the floor almost a reality at this point.

"I'm _so_ sorry."

 ** _"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS GOING ON HERE?!"_**

Nobody ever heard Mrs. Johnson scream as loud as the actual Louds could, but on the rare occasion they could, they knew she was a force to be reckoned with. It was because of this that the band of students screamed as well and scattered away from her and the cafeteria as a whole. Ronnie Anne and Clyde were among the students, but not before stopping and staring at a desperate Mrs. Johnson performing CPR on a still unconscious Lincoln.

 _Did... Did I kill him...?_

"Ronnie Anne, come on!"

Clyde suddenly snapped Ronnie Anne out of her deep dwelling and she took off after him. Neither could forgive themselves for this unforgivable sin.

* * *

 ** _20 Minutes Later. . ._**

Lincoln slipped out of the bathroom wearing his new clothes. Putting on the brown leather jacket, he walked out of the school in absolute anger. He had knew about the Bombardment. He had feigned his unconsciousness. He had heard everything through Mrs. Johnson. He had a substantial shred of spite swimming around in his stomach. He had absolutely no idea what to do or where to go from here; he just knew that he just had to get away from his so-called family and friends. Slipping from sanity, Lincoln turned and unleashed his maddening monologue from the mind:

 ** _"Damn it. I knew this was a bad idea. I was just beginning to forgive them all, especially Ronnie Anne and Clyde. Even after we broke up, I still loved Ronnie Anne for six months now, and this is how she repays me? Plus, Clyde was my best friend since childhood, for God's sake! I mean, they're my two best friends! I trusted them with my life! Come on, my sisters are an entirely different story, but more on that later. You know, sometimes, people can't keep to themselves. Right? RIGHT?"_**

Lincoln was losing his _damn_ mind by the second.

 ** _"You know what really grinds my gears? It's the reason why Clyde and Ronnie Anne did this to me: They were jealous. They were jealous of me. I had a so-called perfect life. I had a so-called perfect family. I had a so-called perfect girlfriend. Well, guess what? I DID have a so-called perfect life. I DID have a so-called perfect family. I DID have a so-called perfect girlfriend. Clyde took it all away from me! I'm actually glad now that I think about it! Right? RIGHT?"_**

Lincoln was huffing and puffing all the way.

 ** _"My sisters hate me, my best friend hates me, and even my girlfriend hates me! Well, I'm grateful for that! They deserve so much better than the screw-up that is me, Lincoln Loud! Right? RIGHT? RIGHT?!"_**

Lincoln suddenly slipped again, this time on ice and slammed his head...on the same spot as before. A moment's notice later, he found himself curling into a ball and crying into the snow. His blood, sweat, and tears mixed with said snow to create a disturbing depiction of almost art.

Lincoln silently sobbed and buried his hands in his face.

 _(~****~)_

 ** _At The Same Time. . ._**

The Stromwell Family, upon meeting young Sophie, agreed to meet with each other in Royal Woods Mall to discuss the impromptu witness protection program. The reason was they didn't want any rival crime families eavesdropping on the crucial conversation that would follow. They chose Royal Woods Mall because it was a lot of people in one place: easier to lose armed assassins and harder to win crucial conversations.

Arnold and Michael walked side-by-side to the food court, where they spotted Connie, Joey, and Sophie walking side-by-side-by-side. They spotted the two men as well and walked to them, who in turn walked to the trio. They stopped right on the spot and exchanged acknowledging looks,

"Connie." Arnold first turned to his ex-wife.

"Arnold." Connie nodded to her ex-husband.

"Son." Arnold then turned to his son.

"Dad." Joey nodded to his father.

"Hello, Sophie." Michael acknowledged Sophie.

 _"Hi."_ Was the closest thing the family heard to a reply; she hadn't spoken since last night. Michael had previously informed Connie that Sophie was the silent type, something she perfectly understood. She gestured the rest of them to take a table while Sophie excused herself to use the bathroom. The family was readily reluctant, but Joey agreed to accompany her. As she was in the bathroom, Sophie washed her face and gazed at her reflection: She saw herself nothing less than a guilty whore and nothing more than an innocent girl. She hated herself because of this as did everybody else (with the exception of her family, of course), to the point where she wanted to kill herself.

Sophie silently sobbed and buried her hands in her face.

 _(~****~)_

 _ **After A Moment's Notice. . .**_

Lincoln silently stood up and flicked the blood off his head. He glanced around to see if anyone was suspiciously snooping about and walked away once he knew he was in the clear.

Sophie silently stood up and flicked the sweat off her head. She glanced around to see if anyone was suspiciously snooping about and walked away once she knew she was in the clear.

Lincoln arrived at Royal Woods Mall; he had no particular idea in the slightest why he was here but to get away from it all. Huh, I made a rhyme. Little did he knew, another lost soul was here as well and also almost out of time.

Sophie exited from and arrived at the table her family was at. Arnold watched her with worry and concern; that worry and concern only increased as he laid eyes on a young boy who seemed Sophie's age seeping blood from his forehead. Almost nobody noticed him...at first. When the people did, though, they too were filled with worry and concern, even rushing over to help him. Lincoln, however, casually waved them off as he made his way to the bathroom, a vacant expression on his face.

Alongside her uncle, Sophie was the first to notice the bleeding boy. He was around her age, donning a brown leather jacket with combat boots, and a streak of blood didn't dare drip on the rest of his clothes. There was something unusual about this particular boy, no doubt about it. Aside from his pair of jet-black eyes and tuft of snow white hair, it seemed that his facial expressions and body language said more than his words. His right arm was clinging onto his left as if it was shot repeatedly, while his eyes stared dead ahead with a rather vacant expression. It was almost if he was either a living and breathing zombie or an emotionless stalker whose pain was his strength. In fact, pain may be in the vital vocabulary of this 11-year-old...sociopath?

 _Sociopath...? Who is he?_

Sophie cocked her head in confusion. This boy was a mystery waiting to be solved.

His interest getting the best of him, Arnold excused himself from the table and cautiously followed Lincoln inside. The boy washed his face with warm water and soap, instantly inhaling when the sting was expected. Pressing paper towels against his forehead, the blood seeped through and added color - a given considering that said paper towels were snow white like his hair.

"What happened?"

Not facing Arnold, Lincoln sighed and continued applying pressure to his head injury, "Well, what does it look like? I slipped and fell on some ice."

"Ha. I figured. The holidays can be quite hazardous."

"Then why bother asking what happened?"

"A secret test of character. Arrogant, selfish, and heartfelt: That's your character."

Lincoln raised his head and gazed at his reflection; realizing who he was talking to, his breath got caught in his throat. Arnold noticed this, "I know what you're thinking: A notorious crime boss is the last person a kid like you would talk to."

"That's...that's not entirely true. I'm not _that_ selfish." Lincoln was still stunned how Arnold almost accurately defined his character.

"You're still selfish, though, kid. My point still stands." Arnold crossed his arms in defiance.

"Oh, why would you care? You're a crime boss with nothing to lose."

"I do care, kid. You're a young boy with something to win."

Lincoln faced Arnold fully and mimicked his earlier actions, "What do you want from me?"

"Like I said, you're a young boy with something to win. You have potential, but you're misguided. You're discordant, disconnected - the list goes on and on. You have a motivation, however. That's what I like about you."

Lincoln opened his mouth to speak, but thought about it before speaking again, "Are you offering me a deal?"

Arnold cocked his head in impressing, "Huh. You catch on real fast."

"So, that's a yes."

"Yes, I am. I want to help you. I want to help you acquire a better life. I want to help you obtain a better relationship with your family...assuming that your relationship with them isn't damaged beyond repair already."

Lincoln thought it over once again, "Hmm. Normally, I'd say something like _'_ _Help yourself'_ , but...what's the catch?"

"You can't tell your family about this job I'm offering to you...unless it's through a full façade."

Lincoln thought it over once more three times in a row. If he didn't take this offer, he would be the same screw-up the city of Royal Woods knew and hated. If he _did_ take this offer, he would be the different detriment the city of Royal Woods didn't know and feared. Needless to say, he was in a difficult position.

Lincoln finally reached a decision.

"I'll take it."

* * *

 _ **A/N** : Again, this story is undergoing some rewrites and omitting some superfluous vignettes, but it will most likely remain the same. For example, this revised **Chapter 1** places more on the focus on Lincoln and Sophie's troubled lives up until the moment they meet. Moreover, this is explicitly a **DC Comics** -inspired story, but it won't feature any of the more famous characters._

 _I am also considering writing a sequel and spin-off to " **Drive** " in order to expand the universe, explore the mythology, and experiment with the multiverse while still retaining it as a standalone story. Taking a page from " **Pigskin Glory** " (by **Mitchell Movie Productions** ), it may also involve various cartoon characters; of course, given the state of my review's majority, it may not pan out. _

_Never say never, right?_


	2. Chapter 2: Part 1, Vol 2

**_Twenty Minutes Ago. . ._**

Ronnie Anne and Clyde were in the same storage. Ronnie Anne and Clyde were in the same situation. Ronnie Anne and Clyde were in the same sort-of sticky substance, making escape evasive.

 _"Ronnie Anne...?"_

 ** _"What?!"_**

Clyde readily recoiled at Ronnie Anne's outrageous outburst; in the months following the camera contest, Ronnie Anne and Clyde felt glad and guilty dating each other behind Lincoln's figurative back as his literal one was the target of his sisters, both young and old - with the exception of Lori, Lily, and possibly Lynn. They'd hear Mr. and Mrs. Loud constantly chastise their seven daughters for blatantly bullying their only brother, even going as far to hand out potential punishments. However, it brought Lincoln himself absolutely no solace whatsoever.

 ** _"What could you possibly want at a time like this?!"_** Ronnie Anne then shot a ginger gaze at the now mangled mirror, **_"Pathetic! That's exactly what you are: Pathetic! You finally done it now, haven't you?! You finally found it in yourself to crush his heart, you stupid little bitch!"_** Ronnie Anne shouted as she suddenly smashed her reluctant reflection, making Clyde and two people outside the bathroom jump, _**"You've made him more broken than he already is and definitely drove him out of your life! Are you happy now, you...you fucked-up whore?!"**_

"Well, for your own sake, I sure as hell hope you _aren't_."

The couple jumped again, this time out of their skins at the sound of one of Lincoln's five older sisters, "Look, you can either exit out of that stall quietly or you can come out screaming. And I know you're in there, too, Clyde."

The African-American boy prompted a gratuitous gulp at the mere mention of his name as the Hispanic girl softly sighed, "How did you find us, Lynn?"

"You were yelling pretty loud, Ronnie Anne...which is something you'll probably do if you don't comply!"

"Listen... Ronnie Anne, was it?" Another voice accompanied Lincoln's first older sister, "Lynn didn't mean it completely! Relentless! She's relentless at this point!"

"Abigail's right, Ronnie Anne! I'm nothing but relentless by now! Now get over there before I put a hole in you!"

A moment's notice after, and the nearest stall's door ultimately unlocked; out stepped Ronnie Anne and Clyde, indeed.

"Look, Lynn. I'm sorry. I'm so, _so_ sorry for what happened to Lincoln."

"You sure as hell will be. You two are going to the principal's office and completely confess everything you two have done."

 ** _"What?!"_** Ronnie Anne and Clyde glanced at each other, then back Lynn and the girl called Abigail, "That's crazy!"

"No! No, no, no, no, no! No! You two ordering the "Bombardment" of all things on my little brother? _That's_ what crazy!"

"Yeah, you two." Pepper was the proclaimed peacekeeper of the animated argument, "Believe me, it could've been a whole lot worse if it hadn't been for Mrs. Johnson's well-intended interference."

"And we feel bad for Lincoln, but we had our reasons!" Clyde tried to defend themselves.

"Tell it to the judge, Clyde!" Lynn jumped right back in, "And when I say "judge", I mean "the Principal" herself!"

Ronnie Anne and Clyde didn't relentless resist like some of Lynn and Pepper's other victims, letting the both of them (Lynn and Pepper) hold the both of them (Ronnie Anne and Clyde) by their collars as the girls dragged the couple out of the bathrooms and into the hallways. A small scattering of students largely looked on as the central culprits were efficiently escorted to the Principal's office, a main majority of them – Ronnie Anne and Clyde remotely recognizing them as the primary pressure peers – muttering under their breaths:

 _"Dead couple walking..."_

 _"Whoa. So, you're saying the "Bombardment" was ordered Lincoln's girlfriend and best friend? Definitely not cool..."_

 _"I agree; he didn't deserve it. I actually feel bad for bombing the kid..."_

Ronnie Anne and Clyde sighed softly in simultaneous unison, slowly sauntering to their keen karma.

 _(~****~)_

"Oh, you poor boy, Lincoln. What did you do to deserve such a sentence?" Not expecting a answer, Mrs. Johnson continued to clean her secret star student, who murmured under his breath, _"I'm a screw-up. I always will_ _be..."_

"He didn't do nothing, Agnes," Mr. Pacowski said as he arrived with additional apparel, "Lincoln's been a sweet kid and a great student ever since I've met him."

"I agree, Mrs. Tennelli." Mrs. Johnson rubbed her chin, "Although, I'm still baffled by this "Bombardment" system; I thought this proclaimed punishment only occurred to bullies or well-off kids."

"Oh, it does." Mr. Pacowski began and ended her efficient elaboration, "50% of the cases involve a basic bully, while the other 50% involve a poor kid another saw as inferior. This case in question falls fully in the latter category." He then handled Mrs. Johnson a black plastic bag, "This contains Lincoln's spare clothes. I'm going to see to his parents."

"I already called them, Mr. Pacowski," Mrs. DiMartino (Lincoln's substitute teacher) called from afar. A Latin-American woman who understood the pains of bullying, she was one of the few adults who still treated Lincoln with respect. "Their arrival at the school will be a full forty-five minutes."

"Thank you, Mrs. DiMartino. Lincoln, let's get you dressed, shall we?"

Lincoln mutely nodded and walked alongside Mrs. Johnson to the teacher's lounge, exiting the scene just as a tutor of Lincoln's entered it, "I heard about what happened to Lincoln. I may be a teacher, but sometimes I wish I wasn't right now."

"Oh, Hugh, are you _seriously suggesting-?_ "

"Sadly, yes. I wish I could find the little wankers who did this to Lincoln and deliver some _serious_ retribution."

"You know what? Get in line."

"Save it, the both of you. Hugh, I understand you're upset, but you have to keep in mind that yours is harboring a revenge fantasy _on minors_. I suggest that you keep your vengeful tendencies in line."

Hugh knew Mrs. DiMartino had a point, but his pride prevented him from seeing it.

"I see, but admit it: one day, you'll think the same."

"One day. But _not today_..."

The door suddenly shot open as a pair of young girls dragged a young interracial couple by the collars into the office, "Where's the Principal?"

Mrs. DiMartino and Hugh exchanged looks at each other and then back at the kids, "She's not here at the moment. How can I be of service?"

Lynn stated straightforward, "I have a pair of pricks who have something to completely confess for."

They exchanged looks at each other and then back at the kids again, "Do they now?"

"Yes, ma'am." Clyde stepped forward and sighed, "I was the one who ordered the Bombardment on Lincoln."

A moment of silence passed before Mrs. DiMartino spoke first. "Mr. McBride...I'm at a loss for words. Frankly, I expected better from someone like yourself. I was wrong."

"I know, I know. It was a stupid decision I made and I can't forgive myself for it. Neither can Ronnie Anne."

"And we weren't being tactful about it, either." Ronnie Anne herself muttered under her breath.

"What was that, Miss Santiago?" Mrs. DiMartino faced Ronnie Anne, who opened her mouth but instead was swiftly silenced, "Never mind. Your reasons for the...Bombardment on Lincoln were what, Mr. McBride?"

Clyde sighed again and reluctantly relented, beginning his mattering monologue: "When I was young, my parents - my _real_ parents - said that they'll never abandon me no matter what. Well...it seems that irony reared its ugly head the moment my parents left me at the orphanage. For five years straight, I seemed to be void of all hope. Until...they found me. My two dads. They found me, they nurtured me, they _loved_ me. Then I met Lincoln: He was a cool kid. He sticks up for his family and loves them no matter what...something my _real_ parents did before they abandoned me. When Lincoln and Ronnie Anne fell in love, it made me think. It made me think that Lincoln's life was too perfect. So, six months ago, there was a video contest. Lincoln wanted to impress his family, so of course he entered himself in. This was my chance. My chance to claim what was mine. And, six months later, I got it. But... I'm still wondering if it was all worth it."

"And was it?" Lynn crossed her arms, awaiting an answer.

Clyde hung his head in shame, "No. No, it wasn't."

Catching the soft sniffling, Ronnie Anne hugged him out of pity, "It was my fault, too, Mrs. DiMartino. I helped Clyde ruin Lincoln's life. I was so jealous of him having another crush on another girl that I didn't realize...this was before he met me. I'm _so_ sorry. What...can we do?"

Everybody in the room was left in a state of stunned silence, the exception being Mrs. DiMartino, who sighed softly under her breath as she soothed her forehead. "All you can do at the moment is pray. Pray that Lincoln is going to be alright."

Mrs. DiMartino exited the room, pulled out her cellular device, and dialed the clinic number whilst smoothing out her nose bridge. "Hello, Nurse Jackie. How's your patient doing?"

"Well, he hasn't said anything, save for a small slew of sobs now and then; Mrs. Johnson is still cleaning him up."

"He is awake, though?"

"Not fully. He seemed tired."

"I see. We'll let him rest, then. We finally found the primary perpetrators."

"About time. The boy's parents have been asking one question too many."

"Well, they're going to get their answers soon enough."

Hanging up on the call, Mrs. DiMartino exited her office again and found the couple crying. Some slight sympathy was found for them both, but not enough to not hand out punishments, "You two will be suspended for five weeks and four months detention when you get back from Winter Break. You will also be in the auditorium explaining your appalling actions to the students and staff."

Clyde and Ronnie Anne nodded in understanding. She didn't want to do this, but she had to. If she didn't, someone else would. This someone else would be much more bleak and brutal in the deliverance of the punishment.

The phone rang again and she excused herself to answer the call again, "Hello?"

 _"Mrs. DiMartino! Lincoln's gone!"_

"What?"

 _"Lincoln! He just took his clothes and ran off! Mrs. Johnson tried to stop him, but-!"_

"Give her the phone."

A second of silence followed before Mrs. Johnson herself spoke, _"Mrs. DiMartino, I'm sorry, but I couldn't stop Lincoln."_

"It doesn't matter. Did you see where he ran off to?"

 _"He just ran down the halls and took a right. He could be anywhere by now."_

"Keep your eyes open."

Hanging up, she smoothed her nose bridge once again and headed outside, snatching her coat off the coat rack, "Mr. Pacowski... Can you please watch the kids?"

The P.E. Coach noticed the substitute trying too hard to hold her composure and complied without complaining, "Yeah, sure."

"Hugh, if you may."

The British tutor himself looked just as baffled as the P.E. Coach was and mimicked her earlier actions, "Right. Where to?"

"All over Royal Woods. Lincoln's missing."

 ** _"WHAT?!"_** Ronnie Anne, Clyde, and Lynn shouted in surprise.

"Whoa, whoa! Wait! Wait a minute!" The latter sidestepped in front of the leaving adults, stopping them in their tracks, "My little brother – _my **only** brother_ – is missing?! I need to go with you guys!"

"Not in this weather," Mrs. DiMartino calmly shook her head, "I need you to stay with Mr. Pacowski and watch Mr. McBride and Miss Santiago in case they try something objectionable."

"But I want to help!" Lynn protested one more time before Hugh crouched down to her eye level,

"That's what she's trying to say: We don't want you to help. We want you to be safe."

Lynn wanted to protest some more, but she realized that her rather pointless bickering with the two staff members was drawing time away from their search. She huffed and nodded in reluctant understanding,

"Just make sure you find him."

"We promise." Hugh gave Lynn a heartfelt hug, which she tearfully returned. After they pulled apart, he turned to look at Mrs. DiMartino, who nodded and motioned towards the door. They both exited the office and shrank into a speck of dust as Lynn looked on. She took a seat beside Mr. Pacoswki, who patted her shoulder in reassurance,

"They'll find him, Lynn."

"You don't know that," Lynn shook her head. Her tone was cold and distant, something Ronnie Anne and Clyde took in. This was going to end well...

"You're right, I don't," Mrs. Tennelli softly chuckled, "I do know this. Lincoln's smart. You're smart. Your entire family's smart. Well, probably not Leni, but..."

"Yeah, no arguing there," Lynn lightly laughed.

"My point is..." Mrs. Tennelli lifted Lynn's chin up so she could face her, "Lincoln's smart enough to leave his mark. That means that the two can track and find him much more easily."

"I hope so, Mrs. Tennelli. Still..." Lynn shot a glare towards Ronnie Anne and Clyde, a murderous mutter under her breath, "If something happens to my brother, the same thing happens to you!"

"Well, do us a favor, Lynn."

Everybody in the room turned to its entrance to find Liam, Chad, and Rusty standing in the doorway.

"You call us whenever you need help, m'kay?"

"That certainly won't be necessary for the moment," Mrs. Johnson entered the scene, "You know, Mr. McBride and Miss Santiago, I expected better from the both of you –"

"I know, I know. Mrs. DiMartino said this before the first time – "

"And did you bother to let her finish?"

The cold look Mrs. Johnson shot Clyde was enough for him to stop his dragging monologue before it even started, "I suppose not. I have contacted both of your parents, and they will hand you both your respective punishments."

"Mrs. DiMartino already did," Ronnie Anne murmured under her breath.

"What?"

"Mrs. DiMartino already assigned the both of them their punishments," Mr. Pacowski glanced at Mrs. Johnson, who blinked in slightly speechlessness by the sport coach's response, "Oh."

Nobody wanted to say anything after that. The occupants of the room wandered aimlessly for the time to pass by. The room itself stayed on silent mode like a phone in a teenager's pocket. Speaking of teenagers and phones...

Lori suddenly bursted into the room, wearing a light blue coat, blue pants, purple gloves, white boots, white earmuffs, and a look that could literally kill.

 _"You... **YOU!** "_

Catching on, Ronnie Anne and Clyde clung to each other, the former feeling genuinely terrified. Mr. Pacowski caught on and her fist as well as it went flying,

"Lori, I honestly don't want to hurt you."

"Well, at least you're honest."

"Lori," Lynn sidestepped again between the two of them, "As much as I want you to hurt Ronnie Anne and Clyde... Lincoln's missing. The two adults capable of keeping order in this entire school went looking for him. They do not want to come back to two dead kids."

Lori swore bloody vengeance during the ride here, but Lynn was right...for now, at least.

"You're right...for now, at least."

"Close enough," Mr. Pacowski agreed as he released Lori's iron fist. The blonde bombshell glanced and frowned upon the sorry sight before her,

"Ronnie Anne, Clyde... I don't know what to tell you. In all honesty, I thought you would be a slight step up from Cristina, Ronnie Anne. And Clyde, you were only much more friendlier than Chandler, the only reason I tolerated you. I was wrong about you both. _Lincoln_ was wrong about you both. _The entire school_ was wrong about you both. Had I not come to my senses, I would've let Lynn beat you two to a pulp."

(During Lori's monologue) The couple listened on with sorrowful silence. Lynn, Mrs. Johnson, and Mrs. Tennelli listened on with remorse running through their system. Liam, Chad, and Rusty listened on with relentless regret. If all of them had full knowledge of the trials and tribulations of Lincoln Loud...

"Ronnie Anne, I'm especially disappointed in you. I believed you to be the one girl who would treat Lincoln better than me right now. I still believe that you liked my brother in some way or another. I wish I never ever encouraged him to pursue you."

This solid statement hit Ronnie Anne harder and faster than a speeding bullet to the head. When she was hit by the bullet, she fell down a rabbit hole of never-ending vertigo. If it did, she would go mad from the isolation. Isolated... The one word to describe herself after her poor decisions.

"What... What can I do?"

"You can apologize. You can sympathize. You can pray. You can pray that my little brother is alive."

Lori took a seat beside Lynn and pulled out her iPhone, "If it's any consolation, you should stay away from him for awhile. For his sake."

Ronnie Anne could only nod. _Lincoln does deserve to be away from me..._

The door slammed open and in ran five people: Mr. And Mrs. Loud, Bobby, and the McBrides.

"Mom! Dad!" Lori and Lynn stood up and ran towards their parents, who hugged their first and fifth daughters. Bobby, after taking notice of Lori, moved past them and found himself face to face with his younger sister; Ronnie Anne herself was beyond nervous. In fact, she was scared shitless. He didn't say anything, however; if there was one thing she dreaded, though, it was the sound of silence. Sordid silence.

His actions spoke louder than words.

Much to the distress of every adult in the room (Lori included), Bobby lifted Ronnie Anne by the collar and breathed heavily, _"Why?"_

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Ronnie Anne felt her eyes water up and she sniveled, genuine tears in full view of Bobby. Bobby himself bit his bottom lip and engulfed Ronnie Anne in a heartfelt hug, which she returned. The McBrides walked towards their son, who looked up at his parents with the same look shared with Ronnie Anne. Like Bobby, they too said nothing and their body language said it all.

Their words spoke louder than actions.

"We're disappointed with you, Clyde."

Clyde nodded in reciprocation and hung his head, which was tilted upward for Harold to see face to face,

"It doesn't mean you're not our son."

Clyde felt his eyes water up and he hugged his dad, who returned the hug and allowed Harold to join. All the while, the three people without family members in the same room as them looked on. They allowed the trio of kids cry their tears of regret – Lynn for unable to aid Lincoln, Ronnie Anne and Clyde for able to hurt Lincoln – until they finally calmed down. Pepper was fully focusing her especial worries on Lynn; a new side of her best friend was revealed to her, a caring and loving side that centered on her little brother. She herself harbored a small snippet of that side as well, first displayed on her first encounter with Lynn and her bullies. She mostly remembered broken bones and bloody blisters...from the bullies, of course.

Pepper slowly approached Lynn from behind and placed a concerned hand on her shoulder, not intending to scare her in any way, "You alright, Lynn?"

Lynn softly sniveled and ridded her eyes of any tears with a swift arm swipe, "I'm fine. _They're_ not."

Pepper drew a sharp gasp and Lynn felt her fist flying towards Ronnie Anne and Clyde, who shielded his girlfriend from certain harm. Lynn had her fist caught and twisted by Pepper,

"Lynn, listen! Kicking their asses isn't gonna prove anything!"

"It'll prove that Lincoln doesn't deserve this! It'll prove that Ronnie Anne and Clyde were wrong to mess with my brother! It'll prove that they do deserve this!"

Lynn huffed and puffed heavy breaths before ultimately giving up, falling butt first onto the floor. Pepper slowly joined her and placed an arm around her shoulders,

"I know, Lynn. I know."

All the adults watched the scene unfold with reassured intensity, almost afraid of being past the point of no return for Lynn, who was precariously close to beating the couple to a pulp. Mrs. Johnson cleared her throat as she addressed the parental figures:

"Mr. And Mrs. Loud, Mr. And Mr. McBride, it is because of the couple's underage that such severe punishment will not be in such severe service this time. Nonethess, I will give them five week's suspension and four month's detention when they come back, mirroring Miss Li's earlier punishment. And just in case they get any more ideas, they are also personally forbidden from bringing any form of electronics to school and using the school's computers unless under supervision for the rest of the year. They can use the school's phone if they need to call their parents or guardian. If their behavior improves over the school year, I might consider dropping their punishment. Seem fair?"

The parents and the couple nodded in agreement, and all was well for now... "For now" being a dead ringer.

"Wait..." Rita glanced around, "Where's Lincoln?"

Mrs. Johnson suddenly became uneasy about Mrs. Loud's question; it was probably the way she asked it –

"My wife asked you a question, Mrs. Johnson," Lynn Sr. stepped in and face-to-face did he see her terrified expression, "and I expect you to answer it."

"..." Mrs. Johnson sighed softly and gently stated, "Lincoln's missing."

To say that Mr. And Mrs. Loud were horrified would be the ultimate understatement of the 21st century.

 ** _"WHAT?!"_**

"And you didn't bother to look for him?!" Lori stepped forward to a now appalled Mrs. Johnson,

"Miss Li and Mr. Ramon went out looking for him, Lori. I wasn't going to call the police until a hour or so passed."

"Well, they're not going to find him at this rate." Lynn Sr. buttoned up his coat and motioned Rita to follow suit, "Come on, honey."

Rita buttoned up her own coat and followed her husband out the room, prompting the McBrides to trail behind after them. That left only Bobby to join the former six-person group. He took a seat beside Lori and shot her several slight worried glances, something she took notice of and reassured him,

"He'll be fine. I can promise you that."

"I'm more worried about you, Lori."

"I'll be fine. I can promise you that."

"What would you do?"

"If?"

"If...Lincoln wasn't fine? You would just go off and seek revenge – "

"Bobby... This isn't vengeance, this is justice. Besides, he's my brother: my _little_ brother, my _only_ brother."

"So if he gets hurt, you'll go on a kill-crazy rampage throughout the town?"

"Bobby, I'll burn down the _entire nation_ if it came down to it."

"... Well, it makes sense in context."

"Should it?"

"... Maybe."

Lori managed a small smile and rested her head on Bobby's shoulder, Bobby himself smiling as well as Lori fell soundly asleep. He smiled and remained awake. Finally, a small ounce of comfort was located.

 _ **BOOM!**_

Of course, this small ounce had to be drastically reduced to nothing. Everybody's heads turned to the door and gasped at the sight. Normally, guns and school never go hand in hand, especially during the holiday season. Alas, there had to be the one exception. It was a slightly elderly man with an infuriated expression and a Remington 870 Police Magnum Riot by his side.

 _"Where...is...Lincoln?"_

To say that Mr. Grouse was extremely enraged beyond the brink was a bit of an understatement.

 _(~****~)_

 ** _A Hour Later. . ._**

 ** _"What?"_**

 _Luan stopped dead in her tracks upon hearing Luna's growingly concerned voice. She had been talking to Lori for fifteen minutes straight ever since the two o'clock mark. Her voice and tone raised significantly at the mere mention of her brother, but it was the much more soft and subdued tone that caught her attention as the argumentative phone conversations were pretty much a given since the day of the incident. Luan sidestepped to her older sister in an attempt to comfort her, but Luna shot her the 'Be Quiet' finger gesture as she continued at listen on to the eldest sibling,_

 _"No, I heard what you said, Lori. I'm just having trouble believing the **bullshit** that you're saying."_

 _Luan recoiled back in fear, knowing something big was about to go down._

 _"Lori, how could you lose him?"_

 _Let me reiterate that: something big **was** going down._

 _"Wh–why would I care? Should I? ... No, Lori. You were the first of us to forgive Lincoln after he did to us. To you. He's guilty, I get it. But – ... What? He's gone? ... Did we really cause to run away? ... What – ? ... Oh, okay. Alright, Lori, I'll talk to you later. See you."_

 _Luna hung up and placed her iPhone on the dinner table, burying her face in her hands. Luan approached her from behind, placing a supposed-to-be reassuring hand on her shoulder._

 ** _"What?"_**

 _Luan recoiled back again in nervousness, searching for an appropriate response, "Nothing." She walked off and into the living room, where Lucy were seated on the couch. She took a seat beside and fell into deep contemplation. 'Oh, Luan... Where do we begin? Well, a few months ago, an incident nearly tore this household apart. The good news, it was a few months ago. The bad news? It was **a few months ago**. The incident has already happened, and that's that. Still...'_

 _"Still what?"_

 _Luan jumped a few inches to her right, forgetting all about Lucy's presence, "Oh, hello, Lucy. 'Still what' what?"_

 _"You were thinking about him, weren't you?"_

 _Luan wanted to bullshit her way out of her conversation, but she knew that there was fooling Lucy. "Yes, Lucy... I was thinking about...him."_

 _Lucy saw high hesitance when it came to the mere mention of their brother's name; honestly, she couldn't blame her. Nobody but their parents would talk to him for the past months or so; as June was the month Lori broke, July was the month Lynn broke. Lily and Lucy followed soon after, although Lucy's sympathy for...him...was much more reluctant than Lily's. Regardless, relentless regret ran through her head for the next nights after following her apology. It pained her. It pained her to the point where –_

 _"Why?"_

 _Lucy was snapped out of her dark, deep thoughts by Luan, a concerned look on her (Luan's) face, "What?"_

 _"Why are you asking?"_

 _"...I just wanted to know."_

 _"Wanted? Or needed?"_

 _Lucy was uncertain. For the first time in forever...Lucy was uncertain._

 _"Does it matter?" Luan and Lucy's heads shot up and turned to face the third eldest of the bunch walking their way, "Lucy knows now, Luan. What more does she want? Or need, in your case?"_

 _"Okay, stop, Luna!" Luan stood up straight and faced Luna with an ultimately unamused facial expression, "What the heck is wrong with you? Lucy just wanted to know why Lori was calling about Lincoln!"_

 _'Lincoln... I said it. I actually said his name. Luna couldn't believe it either, judging by her face. I would've laughed...but I didn't.'_

 _"...Lincoln's missing, Luan. Lori and Lynn are at the school right now with Mom and Dad. Something about the "Bombardment", or whatever that is..."_

 _Luan recoiled back once more in repulsion, "Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! The "Bombardment"?! Luna... Are you sure you're not talking about the "Bombardment", the ultimate punishment for the baddest of bullies and the snobbiest of preppies?"_

 _"The very same, Luan." Luna didn't blink. **Not. One. Bit**._

 _Luan had trouble taking in and proceeding this new information given to her. Lincoln, her little brother – her only brother – who had practically destroyed the reputation of his fellow sisters, was given the cruelest form of punishment known as the "Bombardment". 'Yeah, he was selfish and arrogant on occasion, but... He didn't deserve it. Did he?'_

 _'No. / Yes.'_

 _'Oh, what the hell is wrong with me?'_

 _Luan turned tail and walked off towards the front door, stopped only by a hand to the shoulder. She found it funny. The roles were reversed this time, "Luan..."_

 ** _"What?"_**

 _Luna scowled on the outside for her younger sister's mimicry of her earlier tone, but winced in the inside for that same reason. "Look, whatever you're going to do... **Don't**. You're gonna regret it."_

 _"I highly doubt it."_

 _Luna and Luan felt their respective fists clench. With her back against Luna, Luan didn't notice her shooting a look to Lucy, who nodded in understanding and backed away in fear. She_ _, after retreating to a safe radius, turned on her iPod and turned on a song: Nat King Cole's **Unforgettable**._

 _Luna turned back to Luan, who huffed and puffed as she listened to her older sister droning on,_

 _"Luan, listen to me now. Lincoln's gonna be okay. I don't know how I know, I just know. Mom and Dad, along with two teachers, are looking for him as we speak. The people who did this to him... They will pay for what they've done."_

 _Luan glanced back to Luna, "Tell that to Lincoln."_

 _Before she swiftly turned and threw a punch at her. **"ARGH!"**_

 _Luna dodged the punch and the ones that came after. Luan caught on and kicked her against the wall, unknowingly catching the attention of the rest of the girls upstairs. She threw a punch against the wall, only succeeding in placing a hole in it; wincing in pain, she continued her all-out assault on her older sister. She in question didn't want to, but she had to fight back and defend herself. It was difficult, however, when Luan had a knife and Luna didn't. Taking fighting stances, the rest of the girls arrived downstairs just as the two sisters continued their fistfight. Luna attempted her best to wrestle the knife away from Luan's possession, but she didn't budge. Luan herself delivered three blows to Luna's side, prompting Luna to release_ _her and land two punches as well. She then threw her away off herself, sending her flipping over one of the chairs and falling down face first. When Luan pushed herself and stood straight up, blood was smeared all over the tile floor and her face, shocking and horrifying Luna and the others._

 _'Did... Did I do that?'_

 _'Yeah. No shit.'_

 _Luan struggled to get up, providing Luna the opportunity to search for and use a kind of improvised weapon. The grown-up table is where she saw it. ' Mom's magazine.' She reached over and snatched it up, rolling it up to form a makeshift baton. Luan had conveniently finished getting up by this point, she and Luna taking up fighting stances. When she lunged at her with the knife, Luna blocked the attack and smacked Luan in the face with the magazine, catching her off guard. She hadn't anticipated the pain the magazine would bring to her beforehand. She stumbled back and then forward when she regained her suspension of disbelief. Luan slashed and lunged with the knife again as Luna dodged and smacked with the magazine again. They continued hitting each other for a few more minutes before Luna barely got the upper hand and kicked Luan's ankle, dislodging it and sending them ("them" coming into fruition after she pulled her) down to the floor. Luna performed a chokehold on Luan in an attempt to incapacitate her; Luan gradually lifted Luna in response and threw them both out the door, the glass smashing and the bodies landing on the snow._

 _By the climax of their fight, the song had already ended. Bundles of blood, seeping from the subsequent scratches and sutures, bled against the snow. They were surprisingly somehow still alive._


	3. Chapter 3: Part 1, Vol 3

**_A Hour Ago (12 N). . ._**

"First mission, kid. My primary priority is my niece. You follow my family, but not too close. Split up if you have to."

Lincoln nodded in understanding and followed Arnold outside back to the food court. _Arnold Stromwell, the most notorious crime boss since Pablo Escobar, of all people...has a niece? Hmm. This should be interesting. This is what motivates him, I suppose._

Lincoln and Arnold briefly parted ways and headed in separate directions. As they did, the duo separately spotted a trio of men in suspiciously standard suits. It seemed that they were avoiding their gazes, attempting to look elsewhere. Arnold gestured Michael to silently tell the others to slowly stand up and follow him. When they did, the three men followed suit (yes, pun intended) as did Lincoln from afar. He made the mistake of sparing a glance behind him and continued walking forward: Another trio of men in suspiciously standard suits were following suit (again, pun intended) as well.

Lincoln sidetracked into a nearby sports store and took the following items: a black grappling hook, a silver aluminum baseball bat, a grey nail gun with spares, a pair of leather sports gloves, and a white hockey mask. He was absolutely aware that these following items were about to be stolen items the moment he walked out the store, but frankly he didn't care in the slightest. He had a duty to fulfill at the moment. He sped walked out of the store and into the crowd, the alarm beeping rapidly as he did so.

His track of the Stromwell Family was lost for a short amount of time before he found them again. The two trios had combined to make six suited men as they followed them into a secluded area. Lincoln followed them as he loaded the gun and readied his hockey mask with matching gloves. He laid eyes on the family again and found the six men closing in of them. He picked his pace and pulled his baseball bat, swinging it when one of them pulled his Beretta 92FS.

The baseball bat smashed against the wrist of the man, prompting a shout of surprised pain and a drop of the gun. He was then slammed against the wall, the bat against his neck, and knocked unconscious by the receiving end. This prompted the other men to pull their firearms and readied their arm to fire, but they were too slow in the eyes of Lincoln, who adjusted the nail gun and opened fire. Three fell down while two blocked their bodies with their arms and charged with stylish switchblades at the boy, whom they clearly underestimated. He ducked down when one of the men thrust his blade into the wall, proceeding to batter his legs and smash his head. Another man grabbed him from behind and lifted him up, prompting his fellow hostile to throw a punch...miserably. Lincoln moved his head out of the way the precise moment his fist flew towards it. The man holding Lincoln dropped him in response to having his face punched in, allowing the boy to retrieve his dropped bat and trip him and the other man, knocking them unconscious.

All the while, the Stromwell Family watched in stunned silence. Sophie in particular was immediately intrigued by her secret savior. She watched as he took a breather or two, slipping up the bottom half of his hockey mask to reveal his mouth,

"How did I do... _boss_?"

Arnold stepped forward and hoisted Lincoln up, "You did good. Not great, but good...for now, at least."

"Well, I'd thank my next door neighbor; he taught me the ins-and-outs of Krav Maga during the summer."

Lincoln nodded in agreement and leaned against the wall to regain his breath. Arnold patted his back and turned to his family, "Come on, we need to get out of here."

Arnold and Lincoln lead the family out of the mall, Sophie staying close to the latter. _Real_ close. Lincoln noticed this and offered a sincere smile to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. She slowly returned said smile, _Thank you..._ being her main thought.

* * *

 ** _(2:00 PM)_**

Two hours since their small scuffle in the mall, the Stromwell Family needed a break from their little excitement. They arrived at their so-called safe house owned by Connie, the wife. Arnold and Michael left the room to talk business, but not before the former turned towards a still masked Lincoln,

"Kid, if you need anything, just give a Shout-Out. Connie and Joey will be in the kitchen cooking lunch, and you can use the shower. And, uh... You can take off that mask now."

Lincoln realized that he was indeed still wearing the mask and his eyes widened beneath it, "Oh! Okay. Thank you, Mr. Stromwell." He then went upstairs to the bathroom, Sophie looking on as he did so. Glancing towards Arnold and Michael, who left the living room, and then Connie and Joey, who entered the kitchen, she decided to head upstairs and follow Lincoln, wanting to catch a glimpse of her secret savior. When she arrived, she could hear the shower water running now, just like her inside mind was clamoring her to do. She couldn't, though, and trudged forward. She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the sound of something she'd never thought she'd hear: the sound of a pant zipper unzipping.

Lincoln himself remained ultimately unaware of the process that was occurring outside the bathroom door. He slowly slipped out of his clothes until he was utterly undressed. He slowly slipped into the shower and sighed softly as he was greeted with a wave of warm water. He was extremely entranced by the water's warmth that he failed to notice the bathroom door gently open and close. As he washed his body with the warm water and snappy soap, she watched from a few feet away as his body came into literal light.

Sophie felt her heart beat like a drum. She felt her head sweating bullets. She felt her body stiffen up and moaned as she...

 _Oh, no._

Lincoln moaned as the water washed his wound. He moaned as the soap smoothed over his body. He breathed and moaned as he...

 _Oh, no._

Lincoln and Sophie locked looks. Shocked and embarrassed looks.

For a moment's notice, at least.

The fact that Lincoln wasn't wearing his hockey mask at the moment was a blatant benefit for the both of them. For Sophie, she saw something beyond his snow white hair (which, in her opinion, was already beautiful): his jet-black eyes, pair of faint freckles, and rising blush plastered on _**both**_ of his cheeks. For Lincoln, he saw something beyond her night black hair (which, in her opinion, was already beautiful): her mocha brown eyes, pair of elegant eyelashes, and rising blush plastered on _**both**_ of her cheeks. In any case, each saw one another as absolutely alluring.

Lincoln and Sophie continued sharing ginger gazes before the former decided to break the latter's silence,

"Um...hi." Lincoln called from his side.

"..." Sophie knew that she couldn't leave him hanging, so she conjured up all her might and mustered up a "Hi!"

It came out like a mouse's squeak rather than a cat's meow, but it worked in this case, judging by Lincoln's small yet growing smile, "So...you're Mr. Stromwell's niece?"

Sophie nodded, her confidence steadily increasing, "Yes. I know his job is not exactly the good kind, but he is. Well, once you get to know him better."

Lincoln smiled a little larger this time, "Yeah, I've met him already. He is a decent man."

Sophie mutely nodded and realized why she was here, "Oh! I'm sorry! I couldn't – !"

"Help yourself?" Lincoln chuckled softly, understanding Sophie's predicament, "Oh, it's okay. I honestly don't mind."

That came out wrong.

Lincoln realized his mistake as Sophie's eyebrows shot up in shock. She blinked wordlessly before taking in his words, a sly smirk growing on her face. He developed a blush and a brief yet hilarious eye twitch as a result.

"Oh..."

"To tell you the truth... I honestly don't mind, either."

 _Shit._ Lincoln felt another thing rise other than the bile in his stomach.

Sophie leaned against the glass and, her confidence officially overwhelming herself, whispered in a soft, seductive tone: "Believe me... I should know."

 _Oh, Good Lord. What did I get myself into?_

As soon as Lincoln finished his shower and got dressed, his conversation got him thinking, specifically about Sophie and her waylaying words. There was something to her. This something was there lingering, twisting and turning her into a new girl. From shy and timid to confident and poised, this something revealed a new characteristic to her, like... The shades of a color. Every time something happened between the two of them, he learned more about her as she learned more about him.

 _Hopefully, it wouldn't go past that point. Hopefully..._

"Hello?"

Lincoln turned towards the bedroom door. It was Sophie again. Specifically, shy and timid Sophie.

"Oh, hello again."

Sophie nodded and sighed, "Listen... I'm sorry about earlier."

"Hey, it's okay," Lincoln rose up from the bedside and sauntered towards her, "It wasn't the first time someone barged in on me."

Sophie giggled at his response and shook his head, "No, it's that. I... I never got to thank you."

"For what?"

"For saving me and my family. I never knew someone like you would care so much about us until now."

"Someone like me?"

"Yes, someone good-hearted and loving like yourself. Not to mention quite handsome, too..."

Sophie muttered that last part, but Lincoln could still hear her. So as she raised her head when she didn't receive a response, she saw the almost smug smile plastered all over his face. She realized her mistake and turned away, finding out it was her turn to blush heavily in embarrassment,

"No, wait. That's not what I meant – "

"It's okay," Lincoln shook his head and chuckled, "She felt the same way, too."

Sophie's head shot up faster than a speeding bullet and turned around faster than the hands of a clock, "She?"

"My former girlfriend..." Lincoln reluctantly relented as he walked and sat back down on the bedside. Sophie sat down and beside him, eager to listen and learn more, which he caught on and continued.

"It all started a year ago for me. We were both in fourth grade when we ran into each other. Literally. She was skateboarding her way home when she bumped into me. I knew it was my fault that I didn't see her coming, but I don't think her pointing it out was necessary. I wanted to help her, though, and bandaged up her knee when it was scraped before walking her home. She didn't want to admit it at the time, but...she appreciated my help and thanked me the next day. She told me that we can't be together just yet before flipping me over onto my back. As the days passed, the pranks she pulled on me escalated and got bigger. Those days turned into weeks, those weeks turned into months. Her excuse? She loved me."

As Lincoln's love story progressed, Sophie found herself smiling and laughing along with him, before remorse and the teary eyes kicked in once he revealed the incident to her:

"So, what happened between you two?"

"... I made a mistake. I thought they wouldn't know."

* * *

 ** _"They know."_**

 _Lincoln and Clyde visibly winced as the sisters' sudden outburst was very sudden, ruthlessly and relentless ranting on about the video he (Lincoln) had posted. 'Had I gotten too far?'_

 ** _"Wait, wait, wait! Let me explain!"_**

 _ **"You've got exactly three seconds before we pulverize you!"** Lori crossed her arms, Lynn cracked her knuckles, and Lisa started a stopwatch to time Lincoln's very limited time. Just to prove the former's (Lori's) point._

 ** _"There was this video contest at school and I really wanted to win!"_**

 _ **"YOU SHOWED MY SLEEP FACE FOR SOME STUPID CONTEST?!"** Lola was undoubtedly unamused._

 ** _"I just wanted a trophy to put in the case like you guys!"_**

 _ **"You think you deserve a trophy for that, bro?"** Luna could understand but was too angry to realize it._

 ** _"No. I don't deserve it. Look! I'll delete the video!"_**

 _ **"Too late, Lincoln. The damage has already been done."** Lucy shook her head in shame._

 _ **"You made me look like a fool!"** Lynn stomped her feet._

 _ **"You made me look like a freak!"** Lucy waved her arms._

 _ **"You made me look like I fart! And for the record, it was these shoes! See?"** As the girls retreated upstairs to their respective rooms, Lori tried and failed to make it look like they were making the farting noise before giving up, **"Of course it's not working now."**_

 _ **"Lori, I'm sorry! Wait!"** Lincoln chased after his sisters as Clyde decided to stay out of the mess he made. "He" referring to himself, This isn't gonna end well...for Lincoln, anyway. He stepped backward and slammed the door close._

 ** _"Luna, let me explain!"_**

 _ **"Can't hear ya, bro!"** Door slam._

 ** _"Leni! Lori! I'm sorry!"_**

 ** _"You literally disgust me!"_**

 _ **"Yeah!"** Face plant, door slam._

 ** _"Lola! Lana! Please!"_**

 _ **"You're uninvited to my birthday party! FOREVER!"** Door slam, door open, door slam._

 ** _"I wanna slam it, too!"_**

 _ **"Lisa! Lisa?"** No door slam, but door note. " **Vengeance shall be mine.** "_

 _ **"Guys, come on! I'm your brother!"** Growl of fury, door closing, door opening, door slam._

 _ **"I have no brother..."** ... **"I know I say that a lot, but this time...I mean it."**_

 _ **"Luan, you gotta help me! I was only doing what you said!"** No door slam yet._

 ** _"You broke the unspoken rule: never post a video without the person's permission!"_**

 ** _"Why didn't you tell me that?"_**

 _ **"Because it's unspoken."** Door slam._

 _Every room Lincoln went to make amends, he received a door slam to the face, Luan's case causing a nose bleed. He hung his head in shame and guilt – **"How am I going to fix this?"** – as he retreated to the family computer downstairs. He deleted the video and looked on in definite dejection as it removed from the number one position on the list._

 ** _"Well, goodbye, trophy."_**

 _'Hey, look on the bright side, Linc.'_

 _'What bright side?'_

 _'Nobody to bother you for the next hour or so.'_

 _'Huh... Yeah, I guess that's a sole bright spot.'_

 _'What a day, Lincoln.'_

 _'What can I do?'_

* * *

"What could you do?"

Lincoln faced Sophie and Sophie faced Lincoln.

"Nothing. I could do nothing after that. I was heartbroken over what had happened with the incident that I drained out virtually anybody who tried talking to me. The next night, she...broke up with me. It's probably for the best anyway, though. I honestly...don't think myself as boyfriend material. She deserves so much better than –"

Sophie saw Lincoln's eyes tear up and slowly hugged him out of instinct, Lincoln reluctantly returning the hug. She smiled softly at him and he smiled softly her as soon as he noticed her. She saw another secret of him: boy meets girl, boy screws up, boy loses girl.

And new girl meets same boy. As well as a new rivalry between her and this Ronnie Anne Santiago.

"Was there anything else?"

Lincoln looked up from the hug and pulled away to look directly at Sophie, "What?"

"Anything else that this family of yours did to you that was...unforgivable?"

Thinking back for a moment's notice, Lincoln formed a half-smile/half-frown, "Well..."

* * *

 ** _"It's a sister thing. You wouldn't understand."_**

 ** _"Well, let's go help them work it out. So we can have our house back."_**

 ** _"Negative. In this family, we have a sister fight protocol. Butt out, and let them resolve it on their own."_**

 _. . ._

 ** _"Ugh, nice job Lincoln! We told you to stay out of it!"_**

 ** _"Based on rising decibel levels, I'm up in the threat level in the house from thunderstorm to hissing cats. Sisters, to your stations!"_**

 ** _"Uh...what's going on?"_**

 ** _"Let us handle it."_**

 _. . ._

 ** _"I'm done with this! You guys and your stupid fight have ruined the whole day! It's time to get over it and make up!"_**

 ** _"Lincoln, this has to run its course. Sister fight protocol."  
_**

 ** _"Forget sister fight protocol!"_**

 _. . ._

 ** _"SISTER FIGHT PROTOCOL! DIVIDE AND ISOLATE!"_**

 ** _"Congratulations, elder brother. Thanks to you, the threat level is now a stampeding T-Rex."_**

 ** _"I feel frustrated. Their ridiculous sister fight protocol only makes things worse. If they'd just let me help them, I can fix everything."_**

 _. . ._

 ** _"What's going on? What happened to the fighting?"_**

 ** _"Pfft. We're over that. We made up."_**

 ** _"All of you?"_**

 ** _"Correct. Threat level is back to Field of Daisies."_**

 ** _"Oh, thank goodness!"_**

 ** _"I don't understand. How did you fix everything?"_**

 ** _"No, Lincoln. You fixed everything."_**

 ** _"Me? How?"_**

 ** _"By leaving."_**

 ** _"We told you, if you just butted out, we'd resolve it on our own."_**

 ** _"... BUTT OUT? Wow. That is just amazing. ... Okay, I'm going to go now."_**

 ** _"Wait, Lincoln."_**

 ** _"Please understand."_**

 ** _"No, guys. I do now. I'm just...going to leave."_**

 _. . ._

 _The truth was...Lincoln never did._

* * *

"..."

Sophie was clearly at a loss for words. _Until,_ Lincoln thought, _she wasn't._

"Wow. All of this because of a dress?"

"Believe me...that's not the worst of it."

* * *

 ** _"ATTENTION, LOUD FAMILY! I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE! CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, I AM NOT BAD LUCK. I JUST LET YOU GUYS BELIEVE THAT SO I COULD GET OUT OF GOING TO YOUR STUFF. IT WAS A REALLY SELFISH THING TO DO. WE ALL NEED TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER. I'M REALLY SORRY."_**

 ** _"If you're not bad luck, then how come after I banned you, my team won our doubleheader, and now, we're going to the playoffs? Huh?"_**

 ** _"Sorry, buddy!"_**

 ** _"Sorry, honey!"_**

 ** _"We'll write!"_**

 ** _"Lynn's right, you're bad luck!"_**

 ** _"Step farther away from the house!"_**

 _The family closed the curtains and, thus, ended the conversation. Lincoln hung his head and softly sighed in deep despondency. His family couldn't tell the difference between the truth and the lies...only the secrets. He began to walk away while mentally cursing himself for allowing this lie to become the truth and his fifth eldest sister for spreading the so-called truth to almost everybody who wasn't him, 'Ugh! Lynn and her superstitions! As long as she thinks I'm bad luck, I'm doomed.' He had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Until he did._

 ** _"Hey, Loud..."_**

 _Lincoln slowed to a stop upon hearing the familiar old and gruff voice. His head held high, he turned to his left and came face-to-face with the source._

 ** _"Mr. Grouse?"_**

 _The old man wore something of a small smile as he gently beckoned him inside his household._

 ** _"Come on in."_**

 _The young boy was skeptical, but he picked up the pace as he ran into the house. Mr. Grouse slowly closed the door behind him and faced Lincoln._

 ** _"I have rules, kid. I expect you to follow them."_**

 _Lincoln processed the words Mr. Grouse spoke before he gasped in shock. He didn't smile, he didn't cry, and he didn't exclaim in surprise. Instead, he hugged his elderly neighbor out of gratefulness. Mr. Grouse was noticeably hesistant to return the hug Lincoln gave him, but he reluctantly relented anyway._

 ** _"Why? Why are you doing this?"_**

 ** _"... Because I have standards too, kid. Sometimes, some kids deserve better parents. You're no exception._** ** _"_**

 _Mr. Grouse broke away from the hug and patted Lincoln on the head. Beginning to walk away, he glanced over his shoulder and remarked:_ ** _"Dinner's in six hours."_** _He then retreated upstairs, leaving his newfound protégé to take in his surroundings before walking off to who knows where._

* * *

"He sounds nice. Your neighbor."

"He is, isn't he? Sure, he's a bit grumpy and all that, but I know that deep down he's a nice man deep down beneath that grouchiness."

By this time, Lincoln and Sophie had both reached common ground. Their families were quite different, yet quite similiar as well. One seemed good and nice, but was actually bad and naughty in disguise. The other seemed bad and naughty, but was actually good and nice in disguise. Yes, it could be argued that it would make more sense if it were vice versa, but in truth, it _really_ didn't.

"I'm sorry. I really am."

Lincoln turned to Sophie in confusion, "For what?"

"For you. You have to deal with a family who barely loves you, let alone _tolerate_ you."

"Still...despite everything that's happened, they're my family. I can't stay angry at them forever."

"... No, you can't. For now, you could."

"... Maybe."

Lincoln and Sophie didn't meet each other's gaze before they did again by accident. The hug they shared was much slower than they anticipated, probably because it was a much longer day than either of them were used to.

"Did I miss something?"

Unfortunately for them, it was because of this that the hug didn't last as long as they wanted to. They turned to find Miss Stromwell standing in the doorway with an apron around her waist and a ladle in her hand.

"Oh, no, Miss Stromwell. We were just talking."

Lincoln told most of the truth to Miss Stromwell, who smiled and nodded in understanding.

"Well, I suggest you two head downstairs; lunch is ready."

With that said, Connie turned tail and walked off, leaving Lincoln and Sophie to trail behind after her. Neither of them both noticed it, but both of them were holding hands as they did so.

* * *

 ** _(4:00 PM)_**

 _"Luna, let me explain!"_

 _"Can't hear ya, bro!"_ Luna couldn't believe herself.

 _"Leni! Lori! I'm sorry!"_

 _"You literally disgust me!"_ Lori couldn't believe herself.

 _"Yeah!"_ As couldn't Leni.

 _"Lola! Lana! Please!"_

 _"You're uninvited to my birthday party **FOREVER**!"_ Lola couldn't believe herself.

 _"I wanna slam it, too!"_ As couldn't Lana.

 _"Lisa! Lisa?" ... " **Vengeance shall be mine**."_ Lisa couldn't believe herself.

 _"Guys, come on! I'm your brother!"_

 _"I have no brother!" ... "I know I say that a lot, but this time...I mean it."_ Lynn and Lucy couldn't believe themselves.

 _"Luan, you gotta help me! I was only doing what you said!"_

 _"You broke the unspoken rule: never post a video without the person's permission!"_ Luan couldn't believe herself.

 _"Why didn't you tell me that?"_

 _"Because it's unspoken."_ Luan didn't want to, but she needed to.

All the girls (sans Lori, Lynn, and Luna) sat in the living room in solemn silence. They had just received the news of Lincoln's disappearance at the worst possible moment. As in Luan's case, they didn't want to believe it, but they needed to. _Needed to._ Luan herself felt the conversation over and over in her head as if it were just two hours ago.

It was _indeed_ two hours ago.

 _"Ugh..."_

Luan was groggily waking up. Luan's eyes fluttered open and she slowly sat up. Luan glanced around and found all her sisters (sans Lori, Lynn, and Luna) all gathered in the room. A solemn silence surrounded the atmosphere.

 _"Girls...?"_

Everybody noticed their fourth sister awake and Leni was the first to hug her, "Hi, Luan! How's your head?"

Luan blinked in bafflement before rubbing her forehead and the rest of it. _Oh._ "It's...fine. Um, where's Luna?"

At first highly hesitant, Leni reluctantly relented, "Well...she's not here right now."

"Yeah, I know. Where _is_ she?"

 _Luna was the first to regain consciousness. She slowly stood up and gazed upon the damage she instigated._

 _ **"You two were fighting. The reason, we didn't know. You were bleeding, though not to the point of death."**_

 _ **"Okay, but that doesn't answer my question."**_

 _ **"I'm getting there. Jeez, be patient..."**_

 _Luna carried Luan inside and placed her gently on the couch, turning to a paralyzed Leni after, **"Leni... Can you do me a favor and watch Luan? Fix her up, yeah?"**_

 _Leni slowly nodded, **"Yeah..."**_

 _Luna nodded back in reciprocation and headed upstairs._

 _ **"She headed upstairs and returned downstairs wearing a lilac winter coat, a dark purple winter cap, and a pair of matching gloves."**_

 _ **"Wow. You're really descriptive when it comes to clothes."**_

 _ **"Aw, you know me too well. Anyway..."**_

 _Luna descended downstairs donning her usual winter wear whilst Leni tended to Luan._

 _ **"Wait, Luna, where are you going?"**_

 _ **"I made a mistake. We made a mistake. I have to help my parents find my brother. My little brother. My only brother."** Was Luna's answer to Leni's question before she left._

 ** _"She had a point. We all haven't fully forgiven...Lincoln...yet. That's why she left to find him."_**

Luan blankly blinked as she took in and processed everything she was told. "We haven't, haven't we?"

 _(~****~)_

 ** _At The Same Time. . ._**

As Luna arrived at the mall, she stopped dead in her tracks upon noticing the squadron of police officers and cruisers that surrounded the area. She ran towards the entrance and, ignoring the police tape, began to enter inside.

"Luna!"

The rocker turned to find her parents running towards her, no brother in sight, "Mom! Dad! Where's Lincoln?"

"I don't know!" Lynn Sr. approached his third daughter, "We figured he was at the mall. I guess we were wrong."

"No, he was here." The three family members turned to find two more adults rushing towards them.

"Lincoln was here, Mr. Loud," The British male caught his breath as he crouched down, propping up his knees with his hands.

"We saw him run off elsewhere," The Latin-American woman nodded in agreement, "I don't think he saw us, though."

Rita approached the two adults and fiddled with her hands, "And you two are?"

"Hugh, Lincoln's British tutor." The Hispanic male stuck out a hand for Rita and Lynn Sr. (who mentally squealed at the sight of another mate from England to idolize) to shake as he motioned to the Latin-American woman, "and this is his substitute, Mrs. DiMartino."

"Yes, indeed. I was the one who assigned the punishments for Mr. McBride and his girlfriend Miss Santiago."

The Louds recoiled in appalled fear, "McBride? As in Clyde McBride?"

"Do you know him?"

"He was Lincoln's best friend since kindergarten," Rita replied before reverting back to confusion, "He was the one who ordered this "Bombardment" on our son?"

"Unfortunately, yes, Mrs. Loud," Mrs. DiMartino sadly nodded before continuing, "but he didn't act alone. His girlfriend by the name of Ronnie Anne helped him by spreading the lie of Lincoln being a bad kid who deserved it."

Luna felt how Luan felt earlier – her hands balling into fists – upon recognizing the name of her brother's tormentor/crusher,

"She's got some fucking nerve!" Luna began to huff and puff whilst pacing back and forth. Rita and Lynn Sr. knew the look on their daughter's face and smoothed out her anger.

"Luna, honey, calm down," Lynn Sr. tried first, "I love you, but please don't go on a kill-crazy rampage extreme. Please?"

"As much as your Dad exaggerated that last point..." Rita (like Mrs. DiMartino) shot a glare towards her husband's way, "Your father's right. Violence won't solve everything... "Everything" being the keyword."

Luna slowed her pacing and attempted to pull her hair out, "Mom, Dad... I...I just can't believe that they would do this to Lincoln! My brother! I mean, Ronnie Anne! She loved him! And somehow she ended up with his now poor excuse of a best friend! How is that even impossible for us – my sisters – to even notice?!"

As Luna stopped for a moment to catch her breath, the four adults present blinked in bewilderment, Mrs. DiMartino in particular seeming highly apprehensive, "What was that?"

"I said, _'How is that even impossible for us – my sisters – to even notice?!'_ "

"No, before that."

"I said, _'She loved him! And somehow she ended up with his now poor excuse of a best friend – !'_ "

Luna stopped her before she continued, "Wait. You...didn't know, either?"

"No..." Mrs. DiMartino shook her head as Hugh approached from behind, "No, we didn't."

Rita and Lynn Sr. remained eerily quiet during this entire exchange before the former walked back to the van, dragging the latter with her,

"Come on, Luna. We're going back to school."

Luna knew right away that this time was probably a bad one to ask if that was an intentional/unintentional pre-asskicking one-liner and ran over with Mom to the van. Mrs. DiMartino got the idea and pulled Mr. Ramon with her to her own car,

"Well, this is a first."

"Shut up and get in the car."

Hugh did exactly that and held on as Mrs. DiMartino let her road rage did the talking for the rest of the trip.

 _(~****~)_

 ** _Some Time Ago. . ._**

 _Henry Grouse was a young, idealistic lad before the war. Henry Grouse was an old, realistic man after the war. Here he was, facing his antecedent adversary near the sea in the rain. Both were standing still on the beachside, military knives in hand. This story was about a young man (Mr. Grouse) who met his enemy one more time just when that part of his life was over. One man's gotta be one man, the other's gotta be the other._

 _You gotta be who you are in this world. You gotta remember this part in this story._

 _Henry faced the hooded man, who in turn faced Henry. Both took a fighting stance with their knives and both breathed heavily, the fight between the two men beginning to commence._

 ** _"Be seeing you, Henry."_**

 _Henry huffed and nodded in reciprocation, **"Yeah."**_

 _Both lunged at each other, their knives in their respective hands._


	4. Chapter 4: Part 1, Vol 4

_Hi, everyone, **MarcellusMiro66** back with a new chapter on the critically acclaimed (or controversial, depending on your personal opinion of it) **Loud House** story " **Drive** ". After a few messy rewrites, I finally found a solution in the form of extended the amount of words from 2k to 6k and downplaying the nonlinear storytelling. Before we begin, there are a few things I would like (not love, there's a difference) to point out:_

 _• This is not only an action crime dramatic revenge thriller, it's a superhero origin story with stylized violence a sense of urban realism; think **Taxi Driver** Meets **Unbreakable**. Lincoln is Travis Bickle, Sophie is Iris. Plain and simple. _

_• I sort-of envisioned Sophie to be voiced by McKenna Grace ( **Gifted** , **Designated Survivor** ). I don't know why, but she has this ability to fully adapt into her cinematic surroundings in "adult" movies such as **Frankenstein** **(2015)** and **Independence Day: Resurgence**. They're not the words I would use, but it's close. Also, she's got a rather impressive resume, having worked with talented directors such as **Steven Spielberg** , **Roland Emmerich** , **Marc Webb** , and **Craig Gillespie** to name a few._

 _• The story will possibly span between November and January, but knowing me..._

 _• Remember my version of the **Marvel Cinematic Universe** that consists of the characters being Marvel superheroes ( The Equalizer, The Equalizer: Season 2, The Civil War Begins, The Punisher: Retaliation, Black and White, The Defenders, etc.)? Well, this may be the **DC Extended Universe/Arrowverse** equivalent of that reality. Though the former universe may be revised or done from scratch, the term "multiverse" is relative._

 _• Lincoln will not get back with Ronnie Anne...but he may or may not be getting together with Sophie either, considering the job offer he accepted._

 _So, with that said..._

 _Enjoy! If you can..._

* * *

 _ ** _ **(5:00 PM)**_**_

Nearly everybody who went to the school or, at the very least, worked for it was seated in the auditorium, anxiously awaiting the news concerning the current condition of one Lincoln Loud. Yes, the news of the "Bombardment" had spread around the school building like a blazing wildfire, but never such on a "global" scale. The school district was infuriated not just at the concept of this punishment system, but also the fact that it was inflicted on an innocent student. The kids responsible were split into two different divisions: some stayed indifferent, others remained regretful. Either way, they were bawling their eyes out.

The Loud Family arrived in the auditorium and sat in the front view, the students watching them fearfully along with the teachers and staff...save for Miss Li and Mr. Ramon, of course. They arrived soon after them, walking and standing onstage. After Principal Huggins stood tall and explained why there were here today, he lend Mrs. Johnson the floor, herself slowly stepping towards the podium with visible reluctance. She then detached the microphone from its stand and handed it to first an approaching Clyde, who took it and took a deep gulp,

"Alright. My name is Clyde...Clyde McBride. I'm the person who ordered the "Bombardment" on Lincoln. Before everybody starts screaming and shouting, I had a perfectly good reason: I was jealous. I was jealous of Lincoln's perfect life. He had parents, actual parents...unlike me. My parents – my real parents – abandoned me at the orphanage. My other parents – my adoptive parents – found me, they nurtured me, they loved me. When Lincoln and I met, he was my idol, the cool guy. When Lincoln and Ronnie Anne met, he was... Well, the opposite of 'idol', I guess. It got me thinking about the difference between my life and Lincoln's. Six months ago, there was a video contest. Lincoln wanted to impress his family and a girl he once liked before Ronnie Anne, so he entered himself in. I snuck into Lincoln's house and into Luan's closet for Lincoln's videotapes. His video with another girl he "once" loved was the perfect one and the one I showed to Ronnie Anne. She broke up with him and... That was supposed to be it. Instead, I fell in love with her. We never called each other boyfriend and girlfriend, but we loved each other regardless. With that said..."

Clyde turned to Ronnie Anne and breathed out, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I... I was the one who tricked you into thinking Lincoln still love her. Are you mad?"

Ronnie Anne couldn't believe the bullshit she was hearing and the fact that her boyfriend asked a stupid question. Clyde McBride, her on-and-off (but mostly on) boyfriend for four months now and the former best friend of Lincoln Loud, the one boy who gave his life her and the one boy whom she disowned her feelings for, had just confessed to manipulating her and him so that he (Clyde) would have the perfect life instead of him (Lincoln). In his defense, he stated that he never meant to fall in love with her, and it merely happened by chance. It still didn't explain why Clyde would go through all this trouble just to be...accepted, in Ronnie Anne's own words.

"Well, of course, I'm mad!" Ronnie Anne took one step forward just as Clyde took one step backward, "You... You betrayed Lincoln! I betrayed Lincoln! You made me believe that he still loved her! You and I, we ordered the goddamn "Bombardment" of all things of him! And yet, you have the decency to apologize after everything you've done for the past six months or so?! Was it even worth it?"

Clyde hung his head in shame and shook it, "No. No, it wasn't."

"That's right!" A small yet surprising number voiced their opinion that leaned towards agreement. Clyde turned to Ronnie Anne for support, but she couldn't with her head shake in disagreement and nod in agreement. She could turn away in shame and guilt; as she did, her eyes focused and laid on who seemed to be the one boy who loved her but whom she didn't love back. Lincoln himself faced her with a dead look in his eyes as his hands and fingers twitched all over. He remained backstage and leaned against the wall, listening on as Clyde was continuously chastised by his fellow students.

"If you hadn't stolen the videotapes..."

"If you hadn't stolen Lincoln's life..."

"If you hadn't stolen Ronnie Anne..."

 ** _ _ **"NONE OF THIS WOULD'VE HAPPENED!"**__**

Everybody kept hurling insults at Clyde, who turned to anyone sympathetic enough to stand by him – parents included. His parents, despite being sympathetic for their sole son, only shook their heads and looked away in shame of their sole son.

"Alright! I get it! I messed up! But I know I'm not the only one who's to blame! __They__ are too!"

Clyde pointed an accusation finger at the Loud Family – specifically the nine sisters sans Lily. The crowd roared in confused disapproval hearing of this, the parents of the ten daughters slowly standing tall to the occasion. Everybody stopped their shouting and screaming upon noticing the mother-and-father duo.

 _ _"It's true..."__ The Loud patriarch murmured before raising his voice, "You all don't know the real reason why my son is missing."

"Dad, we get it. We – "

"No, Lynn." Rita blinked tears before wiping them away in frustration, "They need to know." Standing up, she placed her youngest daughter in her husband's arms before explaining in a long story short format: "... Lincoln's own sisters – my __own daughters__ – found out about their little indirect involvement and, needless to say, they were angry. __Very__ angry. __Extremely__ angry. So, being the "brilliant geniuses" they are, what do they do? They disowned him like he deserved it. Yes, for acquiring and posting the videos without their consent, Lincoln should be granted a proper punishment, but not such an improper one."

The sisters hung their heads in shame once more before Lisa noticed something, "Mother... I do believe that was sarcasm you employed when referring to us as "brilliant geniuses". Right, am I not?"

To her and everybody else's surprise, Rita shook her head in response, "No, Lisa. That wasn't sarcasm... That was __honesty__." The stunned silence amplified tenfold because of the mother's saying of shock value. Rita herself in particular was particularly shocked by her own OOC alert, now fully aware of how her son's disappearance was affecting her deeply. She was far from finished,

"As parents, we both thought that we were responsible enough to see what was troubling him. Apparently, we weren't. That's our fault. Our fault and no one else's."

 _ _"I couldn't agree more."__

Lincoln himself didn't mind his parents' attitude at the moment. The stunned silence was broken by astonished murmurs and curious glances, wondering where the voice was originating from. The white-haired boy stepped out from behind the curtains, revealing himself for the audience to behold.

 _ _"Lincoln...?"__ Ronnie Anne murmured under her breath.

 _ _"In the flesh."__ Lincoln smirked.

The entire audience looked on in stunned silence as the subject of their meeting here tonight approached the stage with a surefire sign of emptiness. As far as they were concerned, this poor boy had a bit of a rough six months leading up to this one incident that truly broke the straw on the camel's back. As far as _his family_ was concerned, saying that his past six months were _rough_ was more than an understatement. After all, they were the primary instigators of all of his pain and misery in the hellhole arena that was the Loud residence. It was certainly no wonder why Mr. Grouse took him in after they threw and locked him outside...a fact nobody was made aware of as of this moment.

"Well...isn't this an interesting sight? The people who "care" about me and the people I "care" for in return all in one room. Mixed with other people who actually care about me or at least contain one iota of concern for the town screw-up. Sometimes, I wish I knew how I came to be known as such; the other times, I wish I never did. Either way, you most – if not all – can agree that I don't deserve to be here. ... Not just here in the school, but the town as a whole...if not the whole world."

Not straying away from the topic of care and concern, everybody in the room began to feel both for the presumably traumatized boy. His family in particular projected regret for their son, who was the innocent scapegoat for all of the family's guilty wrongdoings. _Was traumatized the right word?_ Some thought. Out of Lincoln's two most formerly trusted friends, Ronnie Anne stepped forward first ahead of Clyde,

"Lincoln... You're right. I made a mistake, a mistake that I never learned in the six months that followed that fallout. For that, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for not listening to you, and I'll find some way to make it up to you."

Lincoln blankly blinked and began pacing, "I never said anything about you making a mistake, but thank you for bringing that up. Which leads to me to my next point. ... Everybody makes mistakes, we all get it. What we all don't get is those same everybodies making those same mistakes. They try to compensate for this by claiming or stating that they aren't good or great at the things that lead to those mistakes. While that might be true, you have to wonder how hard they looked. ... I know someone who made a mistake once. He kept making the same mistake three times. The third time he made that mistake..."

Lincoln ceased his pacing and turned to his two "loyal friends", "It killed him."

Clyde nodded in realization, "I'm that friend...right?"

"... Well, yes." Lincoln caught notice of Clyde's confused expression, correctly assuming that he had no idea that he was right, so he elaborated:

"Clyde... Did you not take into consideration that I knew exactly what you were planning? If not, then you'll find out that I indeed knew what you were planning leading to the video contest. I knew something personal had to be bothering you for months, and our little hangouts didn't help matters. So you decided to seek "revenge" on the bad guy, that bad guy being me."

Clyde blinked in bewilderment at the fact that Lincoln – his best friend – figured out every planning part to detail. Finally, letting defeat overwhelm him, Clyde hung his head and sighed,

"You're right, Lincoln. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything that's happened to you, and so is Ronnie Anne."

Lincoln's eyes narrowed at his former friend, who was surprised at the sudden hostility towards him. He, who remained apathetic for the most part, surprised everyone else by showing that he could turn on a dime: "No. No, don't bring Ronnie Anne into this. Just bring yourself into this. Just you and me. Clyde, if you were feeling this way, why didn't you just say something so we can _do_ something about it?"

"... Because I was afraid, afraid that you wouldn't understand."

"Of course I would've understand. Being part of a large family is no cakewalk, Clyde. In fact, being the only son of a large family is just icing on the cake. I trusted you, Clyde. I suppose this is your way of saying **_'Thank You'_**. You know what, though? I should be the one saying thank you...for showing how much I can't trust my own family and friends with my own life."

"Lincoln, we're really sorry." Lola's eyes threatened to drip down tears before Lana stood by her side, "Yeah, Lola's right. We do care you for you. We...just weren't thinking straight."

"Just give us a chance, Lincoln. Please," Lynn's eyes actually dripped tears down out of misery. Nevertheless, this went ultimately unnoticed.

Ignoring his sisters' pleas for forgiveness, Lincoln turned to Ronnie Anne, "And don't think you're not in the wrong as well, Ronnie Anne. I trusted you too. Just because I mock kissed a photo of Cristina does mean that I had a crush on her...six months ago. I don't know what made you think I still had a crush on her, but frankly I don't care. What happened after is on your and Clyde's heads."

He then resumed his pacing, facing his family more directly than he should against his better interest, "You're right, Lana. You just weren't thinking straight. You _all_ just weren't thinking straight. You weren't thinking straight when you practically disowned me as your brother. You weren't thinking straight when you got involved in a petty fight that started as a petty argument _over a dress_. You weren't thinking straight when you assumed me as bad luck, sold my furniture, and **_locked me outside the house!_** "

At this point in the confrontation, Lincoln's anger was beginning to boil over and the family's guilt had reached an all time high as their heads hung low. It was on the 15th day of the month of June that Lynn's high hatred of Lincoln began to immensely increase. Out of nowhere did his sports jock sister, being the "genius" she was (uh no, Lynn, that's Lisa's job), came to the "conclusion" that he was bad luck due to a very bad performance at her baseball game. Judging solely by his coincidental appearance (she indeed forced him into going _with a baseball bat_ ), Lynn even went as far as saying _**"My team has been dominating all season, then the one time you show up, we lose!"**_ The entire family, needless to say, sans Lori and Lily followed suit, taking drastic measures to prevent any "bad luck" from contaminating them all. These drastic measures included boarding up his room, selling his furniture, and even _locking him outside_. As a result, Lincoln had to stay with his next door neighbor Mr. Grouse for the time being.

He was one of the few people aside from the Loud Family who didn't react in shock or anger.

 _ **"WHAT?!"**_

 _ **"You locked Lincoln out?!"**_

 _ **"Just because you thought he was bad luck?!"**_

 _ **"That is just unforgivable!**_ _ **You should be ashamed!"**_

 _ **"You ALL should be ashamed!"**_

The entire audience, however, was an entirely different story. They all screamed and shouted their disapproval of the family's former treatment towards their sole son/only brother. The most common critique of this subject was that their treatment of Lincoln was akin to that of domestic abuse. Of course, in the eyes of Lincoln and Mr. Grouse, it wasn't domestic abuse.

It was plain stupidity.

"Lincoln," Ronnie Anne approached Lincoln as he turned away, "Please, we're so sorry for what happened to you. I made a mistake for participating in the Bombardment, but didn't realize until it was too late. ... I think you don't deserve your apologies at all, after everything we've done to you."

"Well, isn't that saying something?" Lincoln suddenly smirked, "You shouldn't think, you should know. Believe me... _I do_."

Lincoln began to walk away. From his friends, from his family, from everyone else. He didn't want to put this madness inflicted upon him. He didn't _need_ to. He was halfway off the stage when a hand was placed on his shoulder, something he didn't tolerate at the moment.

 _Not. One. Bit._

"Lincoln, please. I'm your best friend."

That set him off. Lincoln – without sparing him a look or glance – grabbed Clyde's wrist and flipped him over onto the the ground in front of him, proceeding to beat him to a pulp. All the while, everybody in the auditorium watched on with surprised shock. When he was done, his right eye was black, his left cheek was swollen, his nose was bleeding profusely, and his glasses were broken.

"Clyde, I'm sorry. I really am. But believe me when I say this... I'm not your best friend." Lincoln swiftly delivered an ax stomp to the groin area – a prompted yell of pain from Clyde – and effectively destroyed any shred of dignity that remained.

"I'm really not." Lincoln retracted his bloodied fists and wiped them clean before making a dirty getaway walking past Ronnie Anne, who managed to carry her weight over to Clyde's briskly breathing body and crouch down to his level. Caressing his cheek, Ronnie Anne was torn. Between her current boyfriend and her potential one.

"Lynn..." The sports jock looked up at her younger brother with a hint of hope in her facial expression. Alas, they called it a Hope Spot for a reason, "The thing about second chances is...there really aren't any. There's no reset button, no time machine, no nothing. Nothing – _absolutely nothing_ in the godforsaken world _**I**_ , _**you**_ , _**we**_ live in – that'll convince you to put the past behind me, because it has already happened. Now, I feel sorry for you, but you'll just have to accept it. Even the truth hurts. That's reality for you."

With nothing left to say, Lincoln left the room, leaving his former family and friends once and for all.

Regret. It was the one word that could describe the atmosphere around the audience members. It was the one feeling that left lingering around them a fair five minutes after he left. It was the one subject that would be broached for many years to come.

Lincoln's family and friends knew this all too well.

 _Lincoln... I'm **so** sorry._

Too little, too late; one may wonder.

Such parting is sweet sorrow...

The room was dead silent. Nobody dared speak in the aftermath of Lincoln's methodical and brutal beating of his traitorous best friend known as Clyde McBride. Ronnie Anne had helped him onto a chair backstage as his parents and Rita tended to his wounds. The Hispanic girl was trapped in a deep contemplation over what the white-haired boy had said, specifically one accusation. _Why would they do that to him? Why would they lock him out of the house? Sell his furniture? Regard him as "bad luck"?_

 _. . ._

 _Wait a minute..._

 _"Was it true?"_

Lynn was the only one who paid attention to Ronnie Anne. She glanced up to face her.

"Was what true?"

"... You locked Lincoln out...because he was "bad luck"?"

 _... Oh, shit._

"Alright, Ronnie Anne... I...I know that sounds bad – "

 ** _BLAM!_**

Lynn was given no chance to explain herself, as Ronnie Anne's fist collided with her face. The athlete was lucky that her brother's former crush wasn't attempting in the slightest to pick a fight in any way. Expert therapy and counseling can do wonders for you if commitment was involved.

Ronnie Anne herself wasn't feeling any better. As much as she wanted to pummel the poor excuse of an older sister into the ground (right here, right now), she had a job to do. Her parents and Lynn's slowly approached from behind as she commenced the confrontation.

"Why? Why didn't you stand up for him?"

"Fuck you! You didn't do the same!"

"At least I had probable cause!"

"So did I!"

Instead of throwing punches like they would always do, the two girls sighed in defeated resignation and lowered their fists midflight.

"Even so, we were both tricked, Ronnie Anne."

"Yeah...but what _you_ did was **_all on you_**."

"Look, we get it. We – "

"No, you don't. The least Clyde and I did was torment him mentally rather than physically. You...you were his family. We both assumed that you all would, at the very least, stand up for and forgive him...unlike the both of us."

Lynn sighed and nodded in agreement. "You're right, and that was our mistake not doing so in the first place."

"Yes, it was." Ronnie Anne stormed off to find Lincoln as Clyde followed, but was promptly stopped by his parents.

 **( _" Closer"_ **_– **The Chainsmokers [feat. Halsey])**_

Lincoln strolled out of the auditorium (and the school as a whole) as if he owned the joint. It felt surprisingly satisfying to see his tormentors finally receive their comeuppance after six torturous months. However, he couldn't help but also feel surprisingly sorry for them. He knew the exact reason why, for six torturous months, they all turned their backs on them. This was all his doing. This all started because of his own selfish desires. He wanted so badly to impress the girl who was known as his medium-term crush Cristina that he completely broke Luan's unspoken rule: _**"Never post a video without the person's permission!"**_ Why didn't Luan herself tell him that? _**"Because it's unspoken."**_

In retrospect, it made sort of sense.

Unfortunately for him, in doing so, he completely lost the sisters' trust and respect for him. They never acknowledged him as a brother or even a member of the household, lest they go into their own personal version of a Berserker Rage. Even before his parents started to support him, they both were aboard the hate train. This was most evident in June, a month after the video contest confession fared ever so poorly with his sisters. It was on the 15th day of that month that Lynn's high hatred of Lincoln began to immensely increase. Out of nowhere did his sports jock sister, being the "genius" she was (again, that's Lisa's job), came to the "conclusion" that he was bad luck due to a very bad performance at her baseball game. Judging solely by his coincidental appearance (she indeed forced him into going), Lynn even went as far as saying _**"My team has been dominating all season, then the one time you show up, we lose!"**_ Needless to say, the entire family sans Lori and Lily followed suit, taking drastic measures to prevent any "bad luck" from contaminating them all. This included boarding up his room, selling his furniture, and even _locking him outside_. That last measure was the last straw, as his next-door neighbor Mr. Grouse was nice enough to an extent to take him under his wing until the whole thing eventually blew over...in two whole weeks. Yes, he was grumpy and grouchy, but even he couldn't stand the sight of a poor boy being kicked to the curb by his own family. It pitied him to the point that he ended up contacting the CPS, who ended up bringing Mr. and Mrs. Loud for questioning. The sisters sans Lori and Lily were infuriated by his decision to do so, especially Lynn in particular. She accused Lincoln – her _own brother_ – of tearing apart their "perfect family" life. In a fit of rage, Lincoln unleashed his own Berserker Rage onto his older sister, accusing her of her over-reliance on superstitions, sheer dumb luck, and pure petty hatred for him to justify her own accusation of him. To run salt on the already bleeding wound...

Lincoln strictly stated that their "perfect family" life didn't consist of a perfect family to begin with.

You can guess what road their _im_ perfect family life went down just by the looks of it.

Lincoln's ears perked up at the sound of soft footsteps from behind him. Hesitating for a moment's notice, he turned to find her in a standstill there. Her raven-black hair mocha-brown eyes, and dignified dress beneath her winter coat.

Didn't he instruct her to hide backstage in the auditorium?

Then again, she didn't need to now.

"Hello."

"Hi."

Lincoln and Sophie approached each other, stopping a few inches from the other's feet.

"So...how did it go?"

"I told them the truth: Everything that's happened up to this moment was not just all my fault, but theirs as well."

 _Okay, not the entire truth. I was just angry and not thinking straight._

"Well, that's a start. What now?"

"... To be honest with you, I don't know. I finally revealed the truth before somebody actually bothered to listen; that's all I've been focused on for the six months. I...haven't planned this far. ... But...I did accept an offer from your uncle."

"... What kind of offer?"

"... Uh...he...offered me...uh...well... Man, this is difficult."

"It's okay. Just take deep breaths and relax."

"... Thanks. ... Okay. Your uncle offered me a position in his crime syndicate. I'm not sure if you're okay with that, but..."

Lincoln's voice began to trail off as he turned back to Sophie. At first, her expression was that of stunned silence. At second? A small smile crossed her face upon processing his words. She lunged forward and tackled him into a hug. _His_ expression was that of silent shock, mirroring her earlier face. He slowly melted into her embrace and hugged her back. When they broke apart, Lincoln and Sophie eventually stared into each other's eyes.

"So...you're not mad?"

"No...I'm just worried."

"About what?"

"You just accepted a crime boss's offer to join his criminal empire. Think about the risks you are willing to take in doing so."

"... They're risks I'm willing to take."

"... Are you sure? I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm more worried about you. What happens if an incident gets you and the rest of your family get involved? It's on me."

"... Oh, you don't need to worry about me. I just found out that my uncle is a powerful crime boss, and you're worried about me? If anything, I'm worried about you. What if _you_ get hurt?"

"... Really?"

"... Really."

"... Huh. Well then, I won't get hurt. I promise."

"You swear?"

"Yes, I swear."

"Good. Besides...I think you'll do _very_ fine as a hitman."

Lincoln knew that tone in Sophie's voice. It wasn't the shy and timid mood, but the sexy and bold attitude when he was in the shower. _Oh, the shower..._ The memory came rushing back to him full force. It was that time in the shower that he was introduced to her – her being the sheepish and introverted niece of his now boss. However, at the same time, he was also introduced to her – the seductive and extroverted niece of his now boss. Two sides, two personalities, one person. This can't possibly end well, could it? It shouldn't, because they were two kids. In love.

"I never got your name."

"The same applies for you."

"... Lincoln. Lincoln Loud."

"... Sophie. Sophie Zane."

 _Sophie... Oh, Sophie..._

 _Lincoln... Oh, Lincoln..._

That's one way to start.

 _ **HONK! HONK!**_

Lincoln and Sophie reluctantly looked away from each other's gaze and found a young blue-haired man behind the wheel of the black SUV.

"Come on, kids! We haven't got all night!"

Lincoln and Sophie exchanged looks before walking to and entering the SUV, hand in hand. As it drove off, the second 11-year-old girl stepped out of the shadows. She watched as the armored vehicle drove away from the school and into the night. She sighed in resignation and continued staring into the distance.

Ronnie Anne Santiago was truly the one who stayed away.

She just couldn't.

* * *

 ** _A/N_** : **_Five/Seven Months_** _( **July 11th 2017/February 6th 2018** ) since I have last updated. **A** **Full Year** ( **November 18th 2016** ) since this story was first published. So... Happy Anniversary!_

 _In terms of perfectly developing my multiverse, I'm new to this. Plain and simple. Suffering from a severe case of continuity error as a result is my strong suit. You know what isn't? Giving the audience exactly what they want rather than what they need. Most authors would say "This is my story, and I can write whatever I desire" and be done with it; I'm one of those authors...to a lesser extent. I try to rework some of the stories to provide some serious fanservice, but I also try to balance it with some thought-provoking material in the process of my nonlinear storytelling. With that said..._

 _It feels so good to be back._


	5. Chapter 5: Part 1, Vol 5

Ronnie Anne walked back into the auditorium, her head hanging in despair. Ignoring Clyde's question asking whether or not she found Lincoln, she took a seat onstage and buried her head in her hands. The sight of Lincoln and another girl together sent her in a flurry of emotions. She never saw much of the girl except for her black hair and blue winter coat. _Who was she really, and how does she know Lincoln?_

"Ronnie Anne...you okay?"

The girl in question glanced up to find her boyfriend giving a concerned look of sympathy. _Clyde... He was the one responsible for all of these events. If he hadn't grown jealous of Lincoln's seemingly perfect life... If he hadn't retrieved those video tapes and reworked them to make it look like Lincoln had duped me for Cristina... Lincoln would've never met that girl._ Suddenly, an unknown emotion that enraged jealousy was the closest thing to identifying it began to stir her intestines and cloud her mind.

"This was all your fault..."

 ** _BAM!_**

* * *

 ** _Five Hours Prior. . ._**

 ** _"Kid, do you mind a talk?"_**

 _Lincoln nodded and stood up, walking outside with his new self-proclaimed boss. Arnold stood still when he reached the end of the driveway, allowing the winter breeze caress his face with gentle ease. Three hours had passed by quickly, and he (Lincoln) had passed his first "mission"...if the mall mayhem that ensued three hours ago was considered a mission at all._

 ** _"Kid... I've walked this Earth for 40 years now, and I've been in the crime game for 20. In-between the years at 30, I acquired a new rival by the name of Rupert Thorne. He's a crime boss like myself. He's a loose cannon...unlike myself. He's smart, though; I'll give him that. He's smart enough to have corrupt cops on his side and remove any essential evidence that could incriminate him. A Karma Houdini. No confessions whatsoever. I need to prove – not just to him, but every crime boss in the world – that I still got what it takes to in the game. That's where you come in, kid."_**

 _Lincoln stayed silent all this time and only spoke after Arnold's speech: **"Didn't we have this conversation three hours earlier?"**_

 ** _"I only got an incomplete answer to my complete question. So... Are you in or are you out?"_**

 _Now that he was able to think straight, Lincoln had second thoughts about this job offer. The real reason why he was actually considering staying? Sophie. His dearest Sophie. He was aware that they had met just two hours ago, but he was instantly beginning to care for her. She was the first person outside of his family (specifically Mom, Dad, Lori, Lynn, Lucy, and Lily) who was genuinely nice to him. Plus, her overall appearance helped matters; her black hair, brown eyes, and soft smile all screamed "I Love You!" to him. The question was this: Does she love him as he loved her?_

 _The shower scene didn't help matters exactly unlike her overall appearance._

 _Lincoln placed that aside for now and faced Arnold. **"I'll need to think about it."**_

 ** _"Need to? Or want to? Don't resort to stalling now, kid."_**

 ** _"I'm not. My family – "_**

 ** _"Can surely survive your absence for a few minutes or more. Besides, I've already informed your parents of your safety."_**

 ** _"But how? I didn't see you."_**

 ** _"And you didn't have to."_**

 _Arnold walked back inside the house, Lincoln soon trailing behind him. Taking his seat beside Sophie, he rubbed his chin. ' Should I...?'_

 _Two hours later, Lincoln slipped on his leather jacket and turned towards Arnold, who turned as he did and slipped on his winter coat, **"You ready, kid?"**_

 ** _"I'm rea_** ** _dy...sir."_**

* * *

 ** _"I'LL KILL YOU, BASTARD!"_**

Clyde watched in horrified shock as Ronnie Anne was restrained by her family and two resource officers. His nose and mouth was already stained with dry blood, so it didn't help that more of it was leaking profusely from those same areas – the result of his _very_ livid girlfriend inflicting a temper tantrum upon him. Of course, considering the turn of events that unfolded and the fact that he was directly responsible for most (if not _all_ ) of them, can he really blame her?

 _This was a mistake... All I wanted was a sweet taste of Lincoln's life of perfection. But it turned out that all that glitters wasn't gold; whatever it was, I clearly didn't see it. And I paid the price for it. I learned a valuable lesson today: the sour truth is greater than the sweetest lie._

 _I took the latter._

 ** _"DO YOU HEAR ME, MCBRIDE?! I'LL FUCKING MURDER YOU!"_**

Ronnie Anne was led out of the auditorium by the same two resource officers, crying and screaming out curses to one Clyde McBride. He and the rest of the audience could only watch on in completely sympathetic despair. As the shrieks faded away into the distance, an eerily silence filled the hall with a sense of dread in mind as if a human sacrifice had been made. One _was_ made...but the effects were _far_ more destructive on the people involved than the victim itself.

"Hey."

A voice called for him and thus broke the silence. Clyde turned to the source of the voice: a 11-year-old boy with blonde hair, fair skin, buck teeth, an orange sweater beneath a red coat, navy blue jeans, light blue sneakers with grey socks, and a white beanie. Somehow, he looked remarkably similar to –

"I hope you're listening, McBride, because I'm repeating this once and _only_ once. You insult me. Your very existence is insulting. It's not because your parents are both male; I'm not homophobic by any means. But rather, the problem with you is this: what kind of a friend vows to stand by the person they swore their loyalty to before stabbing them in the back without one iota of a justifiable reason whatsoever? That kind of friend deserves to dealt with...in the proper way."

"Conner..." A girl recognized as Carol Pingrey called for the boy calling him out rather mercilessly, "Please. He's had enough."

Conner huffed in dissatisfaction and stared daggers at Clyde before turning on his heel, "Not enough, in my opinion." As he walked away, the African-American boy sighed sadly.

 _He's right. I haven't had enough..._

* * *

 _ **(7:00 PM)**_

 _Lincoln and Sophie boarded the SUV, which drove off after the young man turned over the engine. The ride from their safe house to the school was a two-hour one, resulting in the two kids letting sleep getting the best of them pretty quickly. Lincoln, however, was a very persistent one when it came to rest._

 _All of a sudden, Sophie leaned against Lincoln and attempted to lay her head on his shoulder, hoping that he wouldn't mind. He didn't, actually, and caught onto the idea; he propped up his head for hers to set down. As their eyes shut, the man named Corey caught a glimpse of the scene in the rear-view mirror, causing him to express his endearment._

 _ **"Aww, young amour,"** Corey stated in a faux French accent._

 _ **"Hey, chauffeur, keep both eyes on the road, will you?"** Arnold, who sat beside him, shot Corey an unamused glare._

 _ **"Sarcasm blind,"** Corey muttered under his breath, prompting a smack to the side of his head, courtesy of Arnold himself._

 ** _(~****~)_**

The SUV arrived at the penthouse at exactly seven in the evening. Lincoln and Sophie exited the vehicle, hand in hand. Nobody but Mr. Stromwell noticed this little detail, which he didn't argue against. In fact, he couldn't help but be sincerely touched by the scene before him, as was his wife who dared to say anything but _**"Get your hands off my niece!"**_ that supported their blossoming relationship. Fortunately, she didn't, opting to instead let the scene be what it was. Her husband agreed, and watched as the two children were among the first to enter the penthouse. Lincoln and Sophie, like most kids who weren't used to living the high life, gazed in awe at the ornate decorations such as the built-in jewelry studded walls and the high-above chandeliers.

 _So...this is how my uncle lives..._ Sophie in particular began to reconsider any thoughts she held of her uncle.

The group arrived at the middle section and, setting down empty duffel bags on the coffee table, began to pack additional apparel. Mr. Stromwell and Corey, on the other hand, began to pack some heat.

"We can't stay here for long," Mr. Stromwell brass-checked a customized Colt MK IV Series 80 just as Corey loaded multiple Glock 17 pistols, "You don't have to tell me twice."

Lincoln and Sophie watched the adults pack, nothing for them to do except help...which wasn't exactly required at the moment. They had their belongings already packed for them, and they were basically idling around. So what better thing to do except help? The former (Lincoln) helped Corey fill his duffel bags to the brim with various firearms, the latter (Sophie) helped her uncle to pack important documents in two suitcases: one black, the other white...to an extent. The third suitcase was a mild grey, the contents of which were unknown...for now, at least.

Once they were done, Mr. Stromwell ordered his chief of security to lock down the building for the time being until safety was ensured before exiting with his family in tow. Lincoln and Sophie began to trail behind, making it rather difficult for them to keep up. They were too engaged in their own little conversation to even try, though.

"So..."

"So..."

"About this Ronnie Anne..."

"What about her?"

"Are you sure you won't be bothered by her again?"

"... I'm pretty sure she will try to, but not yet. It's too soon. She'll come around and bother me once the realization finally hits her."

"What realization?"

"... She _fucking_ cheated on the wrong boy."

"Hmm. I'm impressed. You want me to knife her? Shoot her? Burn her? Bisect her? Trisect her? All of the above her?"

"Thank you, Sophie, but your services will not be required. Not yet, at least."

" _Not yet..._ So, you _do_ want me to knife, shoot, burn, bisect, trisect, or all of the above her one day?"

"... Someday. Not today..."

Lincoln and Sophie exchanged smiles as they followed the others out.

* * *

The Loud House lived up to its name. Taking into consideration a family consisting of ten daughters, five parents, two parents, and one son, they were undoubtedly the largest house on the block. Their two-story house somehow withstood the mayhem these eleven kids conjured up time and time again. The one story that threatened to tear it all apart involved the son of the two parents / the brother of the ten daughters. You've already met Lori and Lynn, but to hell with it.

Lori, at age 17, is the first oldest sibling behind herself. She harbors a passion for command. It is because of this devotion that she loves her family truly and dearly. With that said, antagonistic, bossy, condescending, demeaning, and...egotistical just scratch the surface of the list of adjectives that describe her. This was proven on the day of the incident.

Leni, at age 16, is the second oldest sibling behind Lori. She harbors a passion for fashion. She is the most unintelligent despite her age (the __'Most Intelligent Sibling'__ prize must to go to Lisa, but more on her later); however, what she lacks in intelligence, she makes up in beauty and kindness. The kindness bug didn't bite her on the day of the incident.

Luna, at age 15, is the third oldest sibling behind Lori and Leni. She harbors a passion for rock. She loves rock so much that you would often notice her dialogue consisted of song lyrics accompanied by a British accent, courtesy of her idol Mick Swagger. Despite this, she is caring and helpful. She didn't care for or help her brother on the day of the incident.

Luan, at age 14, is the fourth oldest sibling behind Lori, Leni, and Luna. She harbors a passion for comedic detail. In fact, __her__ dialogue consists of (no offense) incredibly lame puns, with some rare gems scattered throughout. Her vow to make people laugh in a gritty, reality-based world is a testament to her positive and cheerful attitude. She found the day of the incident quite __humorless__.

Lynn, at age 13, is the fifth oldest sibling behind Lori, Leni, Luna, and Luan. She harbors a passion for all things sports. She can be athletic and competitive, turning everything (and we mean __everything__ ) into a sport. Like Lori and Lola (more on her below), she is one of the three easily-angered siblings and the most prone to physical confrontation. The day of the incident was a testament to this fact.

Lucy, at age 8, is the first youngest sibling behind herself. She harbors a passion for darker and edgier subject matter such as poetry and gothic fiction. She can be (mostly) gloomy, mysterious, cynical, deadpan, depressed, or all five rolled into one. However, she can be quite happy on several occasions. The day of the incident wasn't one of them.

Lana, at age 6, is the second youngest sibling behind Lucy. She harbors a passion for tomboy things, handywork, and exotic reptiles. She is the definition of a polar opposite, as evidenced by the existence of Lola Loud, her twin sister. They both care deeply for each other, however. Understandably, they both reacted the same way on the day of the incident.

Lola, at age 6, is the third youngest sibling behind Lucy and Lana. She harbors a passion for girly girl things, beauty pageants, and plots/schemes that end her way. She is the definition of a polar opposite, as evidenced by the existence of Lana Loud, her twin sister. They both care deeply for each other, however. Understandably, they both reacted the same way on the day of the incident.

Lisa, at age 4, is the fourth youngest sibling behind Lucy, Lana, and Lola. She harbors a passion for complex calculations, elaborate experiments, and no emotions whatsoever. As mentioned earlier, she is the most intelligent and the child prodigy of the family, whom she cares for deeply despite her outer emotions speaking otherwise instead of her inner emotions. Her inner emotions were expressed on the day of the incident.

Lily, at age 1, is the fifth youngest sibling behind Lucy, Lana, Lola, and Lisa. She harbors a passion for her family, particularly her oldest and only brother. With the exception of her brother, she is considered by most to be the heart of the family. Her naivety had usually gotten the best of her on occasion, but this certainly wasn't the case on the day of the incident.

The one thing they all shared in common? They all had a guilty conscience.

The family were scattered all over the place. Lori and Luna were both trying their best to comfort the young ones, especially Lily, who (unlike Lola and Lana, who released silent sobs instead) was bawling her eyes over the disappearance of her older brother. Leni too bawled her eyes out, but because her treatment of her younger brother following the infamous Sister Fight Protocol was...needlessly cruel, to say the least. And to think, it started over something petty as...a dress. _A..._ _ **fucking**_ _...dress._ She was comforted by Luan, who unsurprisingly limited her usage of comforting to anything besides her puns and additional one-liners. No, this kind of comfort was one that was no laughing matter. In her room, Lisa ‒ whilst working on apology suggestions ‒ remained apathetic on the exterior, but felt rather pathetic in the interior...and for _very_ good reason. Lucy seemed to be staring out the window, but in reality, she was just gazing at her reflection. She was just gazing at the monster on the other side of the mirror dimension. Lynn, on the other hand, had a different way of "gazing at her reflection" in terms of venting out her frustration.

The sister in question was viciously punching away on the various mirrors her family kept in storage, not giving a rat's ass or two if either her bloodied fists got bloodier by the split second or if she received seven years times two (or how many mirrors she shattered) bad luck. _Bad luck... That's the reason you and the rest of your family got into this mess... Bad_ _ **motherfucking**_ _luck... Yeah, while we would have to deal with much worse things such as video contests gone wrong and sisterly disputes over_ _dresses_ _...this had to be the last straw. The last straw that broke the camel's back...and completely snapped it in half. It's your fault Lincoln's gone...and dead for all you know._

 ** _I refuse to believe it._**

 _Well, you should. Everyone else does... So does Lincoln._

The master bedroom wasn't much better, either. Rita and Lynn Sr. sat on separate sides of the room, spewing out a violent verbal battle onto each other. Both parents were absolutely livid for letting their family life/situation deteriorate down to this, but both didn't know who to blame. So naturally, they blamed each other, screaming curses and roaring profanities as if there were no tomorrow. Ultimately, things shimmered down and settled between the two, with both accepting the fact that the people to blame was standing in the room with them. Both fell asleep in each other's arms soon after.

Albert, the children's maternal grandfather, arrived not soon after being notified of the situation by police. Escorted to the house, he arrived to find it and its inhabitants in utter disarray. It was an understatement to say it was, though. The house was completely annihilated; glass was shattered, furniture was broken, and the children (with the exception of a select few) were sobbing their sorrows away. His daughter and son-in-law were nowhere to be seen or found...which was (and still is) _never_ a good sign.

"Albert."

The old man grimaced at the other old man's voice and his tone. He turned around expecting to find his old "friend" before him, but didn't expect him to find his old "friend" before him carrying a Remington 870 by his side. Fully aware of this fact, he kept his guard in case of a sudden attack.

"Henry."

"... It's been a long time."

"... Yes, it has. I've take it you've been taking good care of my grandson?"

"You've took it correctly. Six months I've trained the kid. He has potential."

"Potential to be what? A killer like you?"

"What happened with Haley was not my fault. It was no one's fault. No one's except..."

"I know...but you were there. You could've stop them."

"I could've...and I regret the day I didn't. I still do."

"... What are you doing here?"

"Your son is...doing okay, for lack of a proper phrase."

"... And how could he be?"

"... I just know."

Henry then turned tail and began to walk off, but not before uttering an all-too familiar phrase to his old "friend": "Be seeing you, Albert."

Albert himself blinked his eyes before rolling them, scoffed under his breath, and responded in kind: "Yeah."

* * *

 ** _(9:00 PM)_**

Ronnie Anne couldn't go to sleep. Ronnie Anne didn't go to sleep. Ronnie Anne wouldn't go to sleep.

She should.

Ronnie Anne didn't feel like her usual self after the school assembly. Then again, why should she? She had previously established herself as a frightening force to be reckoned with, a lesson her first two victims learned the hard way. The two in question decided it was a _very_ good idea to pull a prank on her during a _very_ bad day. Of course, you can see where this is going; the boys were naturally terrified out of their skin and instantly regretting their choice to pull the prank in the first place the moment their smug grins met her angry scowl. Let's just say that the intended outcome resulted in them unable to walk straight for (ironically) two months. In fact...they couldn't walk at all. Unfortunately, that frightening force was unleashed again on this fateful day. This time, towards the one she... _loved_. At this point, Clyde had nothing on Lincoln.

It was not only her now ex-boyfriend's fault that the one other boy she loved practically disowned her to be nothing short of an underage slut, but also her own. Her horrible sense of judgment was on full display in this particular scenario, given her penchant to talking with her fists rather than her mouth. With the latter, she ate her own words that were, quote, _"I almost can't believe I liked the Lame-O"_. Indeed, her feelings for the white-haired boy in question were reignited at the worst possible time. One of the potentially blossoming relationships she could've had was utterly ruined, and she had no one besides herself and Clyde to blame. Lincoln was right. She had absolutely no fucking idea in the fucking slightest what she was thinking that he still had a crush on Cristina (or whoever it was) after six months or vice versa.

In this case, it was a disease of uncontrollable jealousy.

 _Ronnie Anne watched as the SUV disappeared into the winter fog before her head gave in and hung in defeat. She had caught a brief glimpse of the figure who was accompanying Lincoln in the snow-covered block. Black wavy hair, brown mocha eyes, and a style that just screamed prim and proper elegance. She hated it. She despised it. She loathed it. Who was she? Why was she with Lincoln? Taking the recent events into consideration, however, she may have a pretty good idea why._

She, after changing into only her panties and a purple tank top, flopped onto her bed and snatched up her phone. Aimlessly browsing carefree through a few family photos for a while, she eventually moved on a few friend photos for a while. Skimming past Abigail, Isabella, and Milo, she found herself on a rather certain photo. Seven months ago did the events of said photo occur, and yet it seemed only yesterday. A kiss on the lips certainly did wonders for the both of them.

"What have I done to you, Lincoln...?" Ronnie Anne held the phone close to her heart.

 ** _(~****~)_**

 **At _The Same Time. . ._**

Different.

It felt different.

 _He_ felt different.

It felt different sleeping in a bed than the one he was used to.

 _He_ felt different sleeping in a bed than the one he was used to.

Why?

Because _she_ was here beside him.

Lincoln's eyes fluttered open to find the moonlight shining through the window of the safe house. Nine hours have passed following the incident that made him reach a hard decision concerning his family. What he did for the rest of his life would affect him for the rest of his life. For better or for worse, he didn't know. He didn't know what the rest of his life would be like. All he knew that he had her by his side. Literally _and_ figuratively. When he turned over to his side, Lincoln found Sophie softly snoring into his chest, her black hair slightly tangling up into his white hair. He smiled to himself because of this, but eventually frowned knowing that sooner or later he would have to get on up and leave her for the night.

 _Lincoln had just finished a conversation with Mr. Stromwell. He had been officially assigned to be Sophie's personal bodyguard. He was both frightened and honored to be as such, as the life of a professional bodyguard was practically unpredictable. However, he wished nothing more or nothing less than for Sophie to be safe and sound. Not because he loved her (or vice versa). Did he? Did_ _she_ _? Oh, even if she did (or vice versa), their relationship couldn't possibly work or function properly..._

He would yearn later. It was time to get down to business.

 ** _(~****~)_**

 _Lincoln glanced at the tables before him. The arsenal was basically a candy shop cut in half; among the many firearms were_ _an M4A1, a H &K MK 23 with a suppressor, an MP5K with an UMP-style stock, a TDI Kriss Vector, an MP7A1, two Smith and Wesson Model 36s, a Beretta 92FS, a G36C with a full-size carry handle, a Glock 17, a Smith & Wesson M&P, two Beretta Px4 Storms, a Glock 19, a SIG-Sauer P226 SCT, an Intratec TEC-9, and a suppressed Ingram MAC-10...with additional ammunition for all of them. Of course, these weren't the only weapons on display. Several self-defense excluding firearms such as blades (i.e., combat knives, machetes, and strangely enough katanas), brass knuckles, clubs, crossbows, sais, and shurikens among others were present._

 _The white-haired soon-to-be assassin couldn't help but laugh in amusement._ ** _"I guess this is cheerleading tryouts, huh?"_**

 ** _"Very funny, Lincoln."_** _Corey didn't quite appreciate the sarcasm in his trainee's voice. He did find it funny, however, when it became apparent that he was channeling his former self. **"You know how to fight, but you need to learn how to shoot. The gun is the assassin's ally or enemy; in this case, it's the former. It's only the latter when a rival criminal uses your own weapon against you."**_

 _ **"Let's hope that day never comes."**_

 _ **"Let's hope."**_

 _Corey motioned Lincoln to take up a weapon. He eventually settled on the standard 3rd Generation Glock 17; loading the cartridge and performing a brass check, he took careful aim at a metal target. His index finger slowly moved towards the trigger and, when he finally found it, pulled it back._

 _ **BANG!**_

 _The recoil sent him reeling back and nearly hitting his nose. Shaking his head in disorientation, Lincoln did a double take when he realized the bullet became embedded in the target's head section._

 ** _"Beginner's luck, kid."_** _Corey approached and patted Lincoln on the shoulder. **"You've got a lot to learn."**_

 _From afar, Sophie watched the both of them practice, a loving sigh being elicited at the thought of Lincoln being her bodyguard._

 ** _"Indeed...you have a lot to learn, Lincoln..."_**

* * *

 _ **A/N** : Two months have passed since I last updated. The thing is, I recently graduated high school and currently looking for a part-time job. Honestly, it takes practice, patience, and poise to make perfect. With that said, a few things I'd like to point out._

 _• The second volume will primarily focus on the missions Lincoln carries out on behalf of his boss and the growing romance between him and Sophie._

 _• Conner isn't particularly fond of Lincoln and didn't defend him because he was a friend. Instead, he called out Clyde because he was disgusted by his actions and the fact that he was supposed to be his best friend. You should remember his speech because...yeah, even evil has standards._

 _• I might consider revisiting " **The Equalizer** " in light of the film's sequel being released a month from now. Lincoln will return as the titular character, a vigilante who takes action when tragedy strikes, with the tone akin to a crime/spy thriller. Think **Jason Bourne** meets **The French Connection**._

 _• " **Drive** " is (hopefully) the first in a trilogy, with each installment exploring a different subgenre of the action genre. The first chapter is primarily a crime opera, the second is a spy film (which in turn explores different categories of the genre), and the third is essentially a superhero movie._


End file.
